Hindon Floodplains: Demarcation Delay Fuels Flood Fears

Three years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) mandated the demarcation of the 850 sq km Hindon floodplains in Ghaziabad and Noida, the work remains unfinished. The directive followed significant inundation in 2023. The UP irrigation department, initially tasked with completion by July of the previous year, sought extensions, citing complex drone survey processes.

A joint meeting between the irrigation department and Survey of India was ordered by the NGT on May 25th to address ongoing delays, with a progress report due before the September 1st hearing. Executive engineer Raj Kumar Verma cited contour mapping problems, specifically the inability to mark the corresponding contour line on the river's left bank, hindering the identification of floodplain zones.

Petitioner Alok Kumar expressed alarm over the delay, noting the city's vulnerability ahead of the monsoon. He highlighted that actual embankment construction has not yet commenced, despite his plea to the NGT after the 2023 floods. Recent heavy rainfall in the river's upper catchment areas exacerbates these concerns.

While approximately 52.5 km of embankment has been constructed along the Hindon's banks, a significant portion, including vulnerable areas like Karhera and Ator-Nagla, remains unprotected. Similar issues persist in Noida, where settlements have encroached upon the floodplain despite existing embankments, leaving it exposed.