Authorities Scrutinized After 10‑Year‑Old Falls Into Open Manhole in Greater Noida

Greater Noida witnessed a distressing incident on July 7 when a 10‑year‑old boy slipped into an open manhole on a roadside, highlighting glaring safety lapses in municipal upkeep. The child was walking near a drainage channel when the unsecured cover gave way, sending him into the underground cavity.

Nearby residents heard his cries and alerted ARTO officer Rajesh Mohan, who, together with his rescue team, descended into the pit and extracted the boy unharmed. While the swift rescue prevented a potential tragedy, eyewitnesses pointed out that such uncovered manholes are a routine hazard across the city.

The episode comes on the heels of a city‑wide water‑logging crisis that began after a brief but intense rain shower. In Noida’s Sector‑105, the main drain beside a CNG pump overflowed, flooding the Green Belt, submerging power transformers and soaking underground electrical cables. The Resident Welfare Association (RWA) chairperson Divya Krishnatreya warned that similar conditions last year had damaged the wiring and caused a two‑day power cut.

RWA officials have demanded that the Noida Authority and the electricity board install emergency pumps, block back‑flow in the drainage system and protect the electrical infrastructure from further water damage.

Further east, Sector‑62’s road to Ghaziabad became a mess of polluted water, trapping scooters and leading to long traffic queues. Locals fear that standing water will promote water‑borne infections.

Despite a warning from the Noida Authority’s CEO to the officials responsible for drainage, many hotspots remained unattended. The manhole accident and the flooding have revived calls from citizens for the immediate sealing of open gutters, a comprehensive review of storm‑water channels and the deployment of rapid‑response rescue teams in vulnerable zones.

Community groups now urge the municipal administration to launch a city‑wide audit, prioritize the closure of dangerous openings, and reinforce drainage capacity to avoid repeat incidents during the monsoon season.