Noida: Pothole-ridden roads and unfinished repair work across Vaishali, Vasundhara and Shalimar Garden have become a major concern for residents ahead of the festive season, with increased traffic around markets likely to make commuting more difficult and raise the risk of accidents.For Bobby Kumari, a 24-year-old domestic worker who cycles from Indirapuram’s Ahinsa Khand to her workplace, navigating the damaged roads is a daily challenge.“I am not a rich person. I travel to work on my bicycle, and it is so difficult to ride through these roads and reach my destination. There is already so much traffic, and the potholes make the journey even harder. It feels like a daily fight,” she said.Residents said deep potholes, uneven surfaces and stretches of road left dug up were affecting commuters, particularly cyclists, two-wheeler riders, pedestrians and the elderly. The concerns have grown with festive shopping picking up and markets expected to draw larger crowds.Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has reportedly prepared a plan worth around Rs 8 crore to fill potholes and repair roads before the festivals. However, residents said little had changed on the ground. Officials could not be contacted for comment.In Vasundhara Sector 5, resident Gayathri Sharma said potholes had become difficult to avoid, even on frequently used stretches.“It feels as though there are more potholes than road. There is a pothole every five metres. From Buddh Chowk to my sector, the entire stretch is full of potholes. In some places, the roads have been dug up and left in that condition. Now, there are potholes on top of that,” she said.In Vaishali, residents said the problem had persisted despite repeated complaints. Sunil Vaid, a resident of Sector 3, said the condition of internal roads in Sectors 1, 2, 3 and 4 was making daily travel hazardous.“The markets are already crowded during festivals. With the roads in such a bad condition, the chances of traffic jams and accidents increase further,” he said, adding that motorists often lost their balance and sustained injuries while negotiating deep potholes. He said repair work had yet to begin at several locations despite repeated complaints.Residents of Vasundhara Sector 1 also flagged the risks for office-goers and schoolchildren. Vijay Kumar, a resident, said two-wheeler riders were particularly vulnerable to accidents as road conditions continued to deteriorate.In Shalimar Garden, resident Shauki Vohra said the demand for road repairs had been pending for a long time. He urged the civic body to inspect damaged stretches and prioritise repairs before the festive rush intensified.Residents across the three areas have called for urgent action, warning that delays could worsen congestion and make already difficult commutes more dangerous.
