Residents of several villages in Greater Noida have strongly contested the claims made by the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) regarding the completion of sewer connections. The villagers argue that the basic infrastructure remains inadequate, leading to severe problems like choked drains and the overflow of sludge in their localities.
The Authority's Claims vs. Ground Reality
In an affidavit submitted to the NGT on February 5 this year, GNIDA stated that 100% of households have been provided with sewer connections in 25 villages. Furthermore, the Authority asserted that sewer lines are now ready in 21 more villages, taking the total to 46 out of 115 villages under its jurisdiction.
For the remaining 69 villages, GNIDA outlined a future plan: 16 villages were to be connected by August of this year, 22 villages by the end of 2026, and the final 31 villages by the end of 2027.
Villagers Narrate a Different Story
However, the villagers present a starkly different picture. Aadesh Bhadana from Nawada village, which is listed among the 25 with 100% connectivity, clarified that no villager is reluctant to get a connection. The real issue, he says, is a backflow of sewage because the newly laid lines were never tested for proper operation.
In Vaidpura, resident Ravi Kumar reported that wastewater flows into low-lying areas and ponds through outdated village drains. Despite repeated complaints to the authority and even on the Chief Minister's portal, their grievances have gone unaddressed.
The list of 25 villages where GNIDA claims full sewer connectivity includes:
- Aichher
- Jaitpur-Vaishpur
- Kyampur
- Tugalpur
- Brahmpur Gajrola urf Nawada
- Bironda
- Birondi Tajpur
- Gurjarpur
- Namoli
- Rampur Jagir
- Behumpur
- Birondi Chakrasenpur
- Chuhadpur Khadar
- Dabra
- Jalpur
- Junpat
- Malakpur
- Mubarakpur
- Mathuraapur
- Nawada
- Raipur Banger
- Sakipur
- Derin Chauganpur
- Luksar
- Naton ki Mandaiya
Incomplete Work and Continuing Problems
In villages not yet on the connected list, the situation is even more dire. Keshav Choudhary of Chhipiyana pointed out that while the authority constructed wide peripheral drains, no sewer lines have been laid inside the village. Since the internal drains are not connected to these larger ones, filth and dirty water continue to flow onto village roads, causing immense hardship.
This dispute highlights a significant gap between official project completion reports and the functional reality on the ground. The villagers' refutation before the NGT underscores the urgent need for not just laying infrastructure but ensuring it is operational and effectively integrated to solve sanitation issues.
