Tragic Incidents Highlight Safety Concerns in Noida

Recent Fatalities Raise Alarm in Noida

In Noida, a tragic incident involving a software engineer named Yuvraj Mehta, who drowned in a water-filled plot in Sector 150, has not yet faded from public memory when another similar event occurred. A student from Amity University also drowned while partying in the same waterlogged area. Authorities were aware of the hazardous conditions in this plot. Two months prior, CEO Krishna Karunesh had issued strict orders to the civil department to drain the water, but no action was taken. The plan remained stuck in bureaucratic processes, leading to the unfortunate loss of another life.

Lessons Ignored by Officials

Following the incident involving Yuvraj, an order was given to remove senior manager Vishwas Tyagi from the Noida Authority's traffic cell. However, instead of taking decisive action, the general manager intervened, opting to terminate the contract of junior engineer Naveen Kumar instead. The civil department officials failed to learn from this tragedy.

After Yuvraj's death on January 16, the responsibility fell to CEO Krishna Karunesh, who convened an urgent meeting with key civil department personnel, including additional chief executive officer Vandana Tripathi and general managers SP Singh and AK Arora. During this meeting, he instructed the civil department to drain all pits and barricade them within 15 days, as well as cover all major and minor drains in the city. Builders were to be notified to complete this work within a week, with the civil department stepping in if they failed to comply. However, three months later, these directives remain unfulfilled.

It is particularly concerning that while Sector 150 falls under work circle ten, Sector 94 is under work circle nine, where both senior managers have already been replaced, yet the work remains incomplete. General Manager of Civil, AK Arora, stated that the matter is currently under judicial review. CEO Krishna Karunesh assured that action would be taken regarding this issue.