Residents Cry Foul
On August 22, Noida Authority personnel unexpectedly swooped on the neighbourhood with a JCB machine and levelled several of the neighbourhood’s front lawns. The residences from Gate 11 to Jaipuria Plaza were reportedly also targeted, although the road from Gate 14 to Shiv Shakti Mandir was the major area of the drive.
Most citizens were caught off guard by the action. Some locals protested the suddenness of the drive on sector WhatsApp groups while the Noida authority personnel went about removing gardens, bushes, trees, and other encroachments. Approximately 20 police officers and bulldozers were moving around in the afternoon, when only the elderly were there, a resident noted. Another resident messaged about the lack of warning of such an action from RWCS and their non-response to messages and calls.
While JCB machines dislodged fences and hedges outside at least 10 houses in the presence of cops, encroachments outside other houses in the same lane were left untouched. According to a senior RWCS member, residents have been asked to remove the greenery and fences outside the houses and to use the space to park vehicles. It remains to be seen if any action will be taken in the future.
