Stench from Kondli drain making life difficult, say residents - Hindustan Times
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Stench from Kondli drain making life difficult, say residents

ByKushagra Dixit, Noida
Aug 31, 2020 11:44 PM IST

The Kondli drain, a storm water drain that carries sewage in an unauthorised manner from several small drains, is emanating a stench, residents in the area complained, with fumes rising from it, which is affecting their health and lives.

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The drain passes through several residential areas of the city including Sector 92, where residents complained that the untreated sewage from the neighbouring high rises falls directly into the drain and pollutes it.

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Earlier on Sunday, a team of Noida authority’s health department had inspected the drain and ensured remedies, even as residents said they do not foresee the years-old issue getting resolved any time soon.

“The authority should get the sewage treated because it’s becoming unbearable to live amid such intense stench and fumes. The entire 500 metres stretch along the drain and all the houses in its vicinity are affected due to this. Almost every household experiences regular failure in their household electronics such as air conditioners and refrigerators due to the fumes of the drain,” said Sushil Kumar Jain, president of the Sector 92 residents’ welfare association (RWA).

The residents demand that either the drain be treated or the sewage from neighbouring high rises be tapped, and the drain covered.

“The authority officials have said that they cannot get the drains covered as it would be against the order of the national green tribunal, but we have given an example of how Shahdara drain had been covered. Why can’t they cover Kondli on the same lines,” Jain added.

Residents said the Noida authority should get these fixed soon.

“We shifted here from Delhi some seven years ago as this area looked beautiful and green but soon after, we realised its practical issues. The stink is unbearable and our air conditioners, refrigerators, etc., develop faults every month and we have to get the gas refilled. We also have health issues. It’s not just me but every house in this neighbourhood has this complaint. The authority should get its priorities straight and instead of building more golf courses, they should fix such issues,” said Talvinder Ahluvalia, another resident of Sector 92.

“There are neighbouring group housing societies which are not treating their sewerage and are letting it directly into this large drain. The drain stinks all day and it is causing issues. We even did plantation along the drain but it didn’t work. The authority must get it covered,” said Yash Bisht, another resident of Sector 92.

The 20-kilometre long Kondli drain, which has been there since about 40 years, originates from Kondli village, Delhi and enters Noida (via Ghaziabad) at near Hari Darshan police post in Sector 11. After travelling for about 17km in the Noida in Sector 11, Sector 12, Sector 22, Sector 50, Sector 92 and Sector 168 it submerges into the Yamuna near Chak Mangrola, Sector 168. The drain is also known as Irrigation Drain.

The matter of Kondli drain is also pending in the NGT, where the Noida authority had submitted a proposal to construct wetlands along the drain to clean it. However, tapping the undertreated sewage from several high rises continues to pollute it, officials said.

“This is one of the major issues of the city that a number of high rises don’t have a functional sewage treatment plant or they don’t run it properly. I inspected the Sector 92 area yesterday (Sunday) and it seemed that untreated sewage from some of the neighbouring high rises is being discharged in the stormwater drain, leading to the stench. A separate team was sent today (Monday) to collect samples from the high rises. We have initiated action to check the STPs of those high rises. Soon the issue would be resolved,” said SC Mishra, Project Engineer (Health), Noida Authority.

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