NOIDA: About 40 meters of the
boundary wall of the Sector 71
underground reservoir (UGR) of the Noida Authority collapsed early Thursday morning, leading to panic in the area.
The wall collapsed when a part of the land abutting the boundary wall skidded as a long spell of rains lashed the city for about five hours continuously.
Officials said that the land skidded because of “over-digging” in the 2000 square meter plot of land which has been designated for the work of an under-construction nursing home.
The plot has been left dug up since 2015 because the Allahabad high court has stayed the construction in 2016 after a local doctor filed a petition stating that the land allotment was faulty.
Along with the collapse of the wall, a sewer line laid under-ground near the spot was also damaged.
As the collapse triggered fears of a Shahberi-like incident, the Noida Authority demolished at least eight houses constructed in the premises of the UGR’s water tank. All of these structures belong to the employees working at the UGR.
Shiv Kumar, one of the workers, told TOI that the wall collapse happened around 7:00am.
“At least three trees got uprooted and an electricity pole has too tilted as the land skidded. The sewer line connected to Nithari area was damaged,” he said.
Workers informed that the basement of the nursing home contractor started digging the plot in 2015.
“We are living here for many years. When the digging started in 2015, the nursing home representatives asked us to vacate the premises and move elsewhere. We were promised that our rent will be paid but the same was not done. The Noida Authority officials along with the hospital contractor then demolished our houses in 2016,” a worker staying in the water tank compound told TOI.
However, the workers soon constructed more houses a few meters ahead near the same area.
It is these houses which have been demolished on Thursday, fearing that they may collapse due to land skidding away.
While the Noida Authority has claimed that the nursing home owner was served notices at least twice in 2015 and once in 2018 to start the work, the latter however said that it was the Noida Authority which has been delaying in getting the work started.
In an official statement issued to the press, the Authority said that the expense for building the wall will be recovered from the Shivalik nursing home owner and that the dug up plot was being filled in.
“The Noida Authority has not shown any interest in getting the stay from the Allahabad high court vacated. We have submitted many applications in the court for the same but the court has not admitted them stating that the matter was between the Noida Authority and the petitioner and we are not a party to it. How can the Authority fill in the plot?” Dr Ravi Mohta, owner of the Shivalik nursing home told TOI.
The wall collapsed when a part of the land abutting the boundary wall skidded.
