Greater Noida: An 8-foot-deep pit dug by the Greater Noida authority near a private school in Greater Noida’s Sector Beta-1 about a month ago has raised safety concerns among local residents, who alleged the pit lacks fencing and poses risks to pedestrians and schoolchildren.
Authority officials, however, said the water-filled pit near the Vishwa Bharati Public School was dug to repair an underground pipeline and would be filled by the end of March 6.
In a video circulating on social media and shared with HT, Harendra Bhati, general secretary of the Beta-1 Resident Welfare Association (RWA), demonstrates the pit’s depth using a stick that completely submerges into the pit.
“Because it is filled with water, you cannot tell its depth. I was almost about to walk into it,” Bhati told HT on Friday.
He added that residents had repeatedly asked the Greater Noida authority to secure the pit. “It feels like authorities are waiting for someone to get seriously injured before taking action,” he said.
According to local residents, a water pipeline had burst at the spot around 2-3 months ago, following which complaints were submitted to the authority.
Mahendar Singh, a resident of A Block in Beta-1, said residents had informed the authority about the issue earlier as well. “About a month ago, we informed the authority about the pit. Officials visited the site, but no action was taken,” he claimed.
Vinod Sharma, an official from the Greater Noida authority’s water department,said the pipeline carries Ganga water and lies several feet below the surface. “The pit is around eight feet deep, but we need to dig further to reach the pipeline. Even a small amount of water quickly fills the pit,” Sharma said.
Bijender Kushwah, manager at the Greater Noida authority, said the excavation was carried out to fix the pipeline. “The repair work is the water department’s responsibility, and we will ensure they take necessary action,” he said.
Residents said that although no injuries have been reported so far, the open pit continues to pose a safety risk for pedestrians and children in the area.