Ghaziabad: FIR against high-rise developer after digging work causes city drain to breach

The Uttar Pradesh Avas Vikas Parishad (UP Housing and Development Board) has lodged an FIR against the developer of Prateek Grand, a luxury residential complex in Siddharth Vihar, after a breach in a municipal drain—allegedly triggered by negligent construction by the high-rise developer—caused severe flooding in the basements of occupied towers on Friday.

Officials said that around 30 million litres per day (MLD) of drain water, flowing through an old brick-lined channel maintained by the Ghaziabad municipal corporation, gushed into the basements after the drain breached, reportedly due to excavation work being carried out at an under-construction section of the high-rise project.

AK Mittal, superintending engineer of the UP Avas Vikas Parishad, said, “The developer was digging up a basement barely six metres from the drain. We will get it inquired whether safety precautions like a retaining wall were required or not. As a regulatory authority, we will also explore whether action can be taken by way of penalties or withholding the project’s completion certificate.”

The FIR was filed late night on May 2 at Vijay Nagar police station under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita pertaining to negligent conduct (Section 290), mischief causing loss or damage (Section 324[4]), and acts endangering life or personal safety of others (Section 125).

Deputy commissioner of police (City Zone) Rajesh Kumar said, “The FIR has been registered against officials of the developer firm and others. An investigation is on,” he said.

Housing board officials said the drain in question—though flowing through the housing board’s Siddharth Vihar township—primarily carries discharge from areas maintained by the corporation, such as Vijay Nagar and Pratap Vihar. “We are handling a burden that is not originally ours. Despite this, when the drain failed, it was our residents who suffered. We had asked the municipal corporation earlier to co-fund the cementing of the drain, but they declined,” Mittal added.

Municipal officials, for their part, acknowledged the ageing condition of the drain but pointed to budgetary constraints. “We do not have a large enough allocation to cement the entire channel. It is an old drain, but it is layered with bricks,” said NK Chaudhary, chief engineer, Ghaziabad municipal body.

In the wake of the breach, multiple basements of the Prateek Grand society—comprising 24 towers of 26 to 28 storeys each—were inundated. About 3,000 families reside in the complex, said residents.

Residents described harrowing conditions over the weekend. “It has been almost five days since the basement got flooded and residents are still suffering. One lift has been made functional in each tower, but that too happened only after we staged protests,” said Shashi Kukreti, a resident.

“The flooding affected drinking water supply, which has not yet been fully restored. There are pumps working now, but we worry what will happen when the monsoon arrives. This may happen again,” Kukreti added.

Housing board officials confirmed that the Prateek Grand complex has not yet received a completion certificate. This potentially exposes it to regulatory scrutiny, particularly in light of the recent events. “The water in the basement is being flushed out with the help of pumps. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the residents, especially with the monsoon approaching,” Mittal said.

In a statement, Prateek Group denied that its construction activity was solely to blame and alleged that the real trigger lay elsewhere. “The situation was caused due to a negligent act of a third party developer diverting water from the source without the permission of the local authority, which eventually led to an increased pressure on the walls,” a spokesperson said.

“The wall was already slated to be repaired by authorities in some time. The massive rainfall also led to the wall giving way under the ever-increasing water pressure,” the statement added.

The developer said that it had deployed a team of 60–70 professionals to work on repairs and restoration. “We are committed and are in complete support of our people who have suffered with no fault of theirs. We request everyone to maintain patience as the work is happening at full pace. We also appeal to parties not directly involved to refrain from politicising the issue. Once the immediate crisis is under control, we will investigate the real reason behind the failure,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, UP Avas Vikas Parishad has said it plans to construct a new cemented drain to handle future discharges through Siddharth Vihar. “The design has been finalised and the work will begin soon. It may take about one and a half years to complete. Until then, we will need vigilance from both developers and municipal agencies to prevent further breaches,” Mittal said.

The incident has highlighted the precarious balance between rapid urban expansion and the infrastructure meant to support it. With more high-rises being planned in the area, residents and officials alike agree that a long-term solution, involving cooperation between housing boards, municipal corporations, and private developers, is urgently needed.