Noida:
Residents of Bhangel and Salarpur, along with representatives of various market associations and shopkeepers, met Noida MLA Pankaj Singh on Thursday to raise long-pending civic and commercial issues related to the elevated road and surrounding infrastructure. The delegation, which included members of the Noida Village Residents Association (NOVRA), submitted a detailed memorandum highlighting three major demands that they said were directly impacting the livelihood of local traders and the daily lives of villagers.
The meeting was held under the leadership of NOVRA president Dr Ranjan Tomar and BJP leader Amit Tyagi. The delegation stated that despite the completion of the elevated road, several unresolved issues beneath it had created serious challenges for the local population, especially for markets in Bhangel and Salarpur that depend heavily on easy access and adequate parking facilities.
The first major demand raised before the MLA was related to the closure of the route connecting NEPZ to Bhangel. According to the delegation, this road has been closed by the Noida Authority and the police, causing significant inconvenience to customers visiting the local markets. Traders explained that the closure has sharply reduced footfall, resulting in heavy financial losses. They urged the MLA to intervene and issue immediate directions to reopen the route so that normal movement of customers and vehicles could resume.
The second issue pertained to the road proposed to be constructed beneath the elevated road. The delegation pointed out that work on this road has been delayed due to ongoing coordination issues and jurisdictional disagreements between the Noida Authority and the Bridge Corporation. This delay, they said, has worsened traffic congestion and accessibility problems in the area. The residents demanded that the MLA play a decisive role in ending the administrative deadlock and ensure that construction of the road under the elevated corridor begins at the earliest.
The most critical demand highlighted during the meeting was related to parking facilities. The delegation stressed that the future of the local markets entirely depends on the creation of authorised parking spaces under the elevated road by the Noida Authority. They warned that if proper parking is not developed soon, the markets would suffer irreparable damage, ultimately affecting the economic future of the local villagers and traders. At present, encroachments under the elevated road have drastically reduced available parking space, discouraging customers from visiting the markets. As a result, shopkeepers are struggling to sustain their businesses. The delegation said that the only viable solution lies in the development of a well-planned, authorised parking facility by the authority, and urged the MLA to ensure swift action on this front. This demand was also strongly supported by Bhangel RWA president Sandeep Tyagi, who emphasised the urgency of resolving the parking crisis.
During the interaction, MLA Pankaj Singh took immediate cognisance of the issues raised. In the presence of the delegation, he contacted Noida Authority CEO Lokesh M over the phone and directed him to take serious and prompt action on all the demands presented in the memorandum. Singh underlined that the problems of residents of rural areas and local market shopkeepers must be addressed on priority. He assured the delegation that their grievances would not be ignored and that concrete steps would be taken to resolve them.
The MLA acknowledged that the people of Bhangel and surrounding areas had endured considerable hardship due to the prolonged construction of the elevated road. He said that while the process had caused inconvenience and disruption, the time had now come for positive change and tangible improvements on the ground. Singh expressed confidence that with coordinated efforts from the administration, the longstanding problems faced by the area would soon be resolved.
A large number of villagers, traders and local representatives were present during the meeting. Among those who attended were Sahdev Guruji, Lumbardar Mehrchand Tyagi, Khushiram Sharma, Sandeep Tyagi, NOVRA general secretary Puneet Rana, Ankit Aggarwal, Amit Chauhan, Vipin Tyagi, Parma, Satish Sharma, Kapil Garg, Suraj Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Rohtas, Sandeep Tent, Amipal, Kuldeep Sharma, Modi Koti and several others. The delegation reiterated that they would continue to follow up on the issues until concrete action is taken, expressing hope that the administration’s intervention would bring lasting relief to the residents and traders of Bhangel and Salarpur.
