Residents living across several high-rise sectors in Noida are locked in a daily struggle against severe traffic congestion and noise pollution, caused by a massive proliferation of unauthorised street vendors. The crisis is most acute on the main road connecting sectors 119, 120, and 121, where vendors have taken over public space, creating an unprecedented administrative and civic mess.
Residents' Plight: From Traffic Jams to Sleepless Nights
The situation has deteriorated sharply over the past year, causing immense distress to locals. Roads are perpetually clogged, making daily commutes a nightmare. The problem peaks every Thursday with a weekly market that spills onto the central carriageway. This leads to extreme noise levels that continue until 3 or 4 in the morning, severely disrupting the sleep and peace of residents.
Nikhil Singhal, President of the Noida Highrise Federation (NHRF) for the 100x sectors, stated that the issue has reached alarming levels. "The proliferation of unauthorised vendors in sectors 119, 120, 121, etc. has reached alarming levels, causing immense distress," he said. He confirmed that multiple complaints have been lodged with the authorities, but to no avail.
Administrative Failure and Police Inaction
Despite formal procedures being followed, there has been a conspicuous lack of action from both the Noida Authority and the police. The Noida Authority had forwarded a written request to the police for necessary action, based on residents' complaints. However, this has yielded zero results on the ground.
Ashutosh Rai, Vice President of NHRF, highlighted the bureaucratic runaround. "The police initially demanded a written communication from the Authority; now, despite receiving it, there's no action. This reflects administrative failure," he remarked. Namita Sharma, Joint Secretary of the residents' body, added that even the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of the area has been informed several times about the mess, but there has been no response.
Kapil Mehra, Secretary of NHRF, revealed that vendor encroachment has surged by a shocking 100% in just one year, a situation never seen before in the area. "This area is no longer peaceful. We're baffled why both police and Authority are reluctant to act," he said, demanding immediate action to clear the roads for public use.
Temporary Action, Permanent Problem
When contacted, ML Rawat, a Junior Engineer with the Noida Authority in charge of the area, claimed that officials recently took action and got the encroachments removed. However, residents provided a contradictory account. They asserted that on the very same day, after Authority officials left the site by 8 PM, the unauthorised vendors returned and reoccupied the spots, rendering the action completely ineffective.
The standoff continues, with residents growing increasingly frustrated by the administrative apathy. The daily traffic snarls, noise pollution, and sanitation issues pose a serious threat to the quality of life in these upscale residential sectors of Noida.
