Wary Shahberi stays in, accuses GNIDA of neglect

GREATER NOIDA: The showers brought life to a complete standstill in Greater Noida’s Shahberi on Tuesday. Residents of thousands of apartments that have been declared illegal shared pictures of waterlogged streets on their mobile phones. Most stayed indoors.
“The entire area is waterlogged. Drains from Crossings Republik are overflowing and water is coming into Shahberi now. While our drains are clogged, more water flowing into the area has made matters worse. Residents of Shahberi are in panic over water levels,” a resident SK Upadhyay said. Several residents have been protesting for the past two weeks over their right to their property.
Shahberi has over one lakh people and 30,000-odd apartments. “No one went to work on Tuesday or sent their children to school. The situation may get out of hand and there is a need for immediate cooperation from GNIDA,” Mukul Tyagi, a resident said.
People recalled how two buildings collapsed in 2018, killing nine, and accused GNIDA of neglect. But authorities said development in Shahberi, which is an illegal settlement, is not a possibility.
“We’re not responsible for the situation in Shahberi as none of the house plans are approved by us. When Noida Authority sanctions plans, it makes sure the internal plan, including structure, architecture, roads and drains, are safe and as per our construction bylaws,” GNIDA CEO Narendra Bhooshan said.