A three-year-old girl died after slipping in rainwater that accumulated outside her home in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, where heavy rains disrupted normal life on Thursday.
The incident took place in Sarvodaya Nagar area within the limits of Vijay Nagar police station.
The police will inspect the site and ensure that all necessary legal and administrative measures are taken, Upasana Pandey, ACP, Vijayanagar, said. “Today, a girl aged about three years died due to drowning. This has led to anger among the family members. The police will facilitate any action they ask for and the department concerned has also assured that all due legal procedures will be followed. Yes, there was water accumulating outside the house; we will now inspect the site and start taking necessary action,” she said as quoted by ANI.
Read also: Southwest monsoon covers entire India; The IMD expects less than normal rainfall from July 15
Rain fury in Ghaziabad, Noida
In one of the most serious rain-related incidents, a section of road in Ghaziabad’s Vasundhara Sector 13 next to an under-construction basement collapsed after incessant rain, sending a parked car and a motorcycle into the ditch. A nearby electricity pole also fell into the hole. PTI news agency reported that no one was hurt, but the two cars were severely damaged.
In Noida, several areas, including Sectors 16, 33 and 12, witnessed severe waterlogging, with knee-deep water reported at some places, making movement difficult for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders.
Many motorcycles and scooters broke down after water entered their exhausts, forcing passengers to push their vehicles through the flooded lanes. Some passengers crossed the flooded roads by walking along road dividers.
Heavy traffic congestion was reported during the morning rush hours near the Botanical Garden area, with hundreds of cars, buses and two-wheelers moving slowly or remaining stuck for long periods.
A police officer said that traffic was disrupted due to increased congestion caused by the rain, but added that personnel were still deployed to regulate movement and facilitate traffic flow.
In Sector 63, the boundary wall of a company collapsed due to rain. No injuries were reported.
In Ghaziabad, the district administration declared a holiday in government schools due to heavy rains.
Local residents blamed poor sanitation for the situation.
Salman, a milk supplier, told PTI Videos that the rain has affected his business. He said, “I was unable to deliver milk in some areas because the roads were heavily flooded and it became difficult to pass through.”
One resident, Akbar Ali, claimed that cleaning the sewers was merely an “eyewash.”
“If the drains had been cleaned properly, the water would have drained out,” said Ali, who works in flour and grocery supply business. “The water rose to above knee level and even roadside shops were flooded. This affected the supply of essential items.”
Shalini Singh, CEO of Noida Citizen Forum, an NGO, said the rainfall revealed the Noida authority’s insufficient preparation for the monsoon.
She said: “Officials must get out of their air-conditioned offices and see the actual situation on the ground. When a little rain falls that causes the city to stop, this is not just a natural disaster but an administrative failure,” calling for accountability, disclosure of contracts related to drainage, and taking action against those responsible for these errors.
(With inputs from PTI, ANI)
