G. Noida villagers seek to rewrite their identity
Sadullapur roads turn into muddy tracks during monsoon Live Events Hospital just 3 km away, but journey can take an hour Village pond work leaves
Sadullapur roads turn into muddy tracks during monsoon Live Events Hospital just 3 km away, but journey can take an hour Village pond work leaves residents disappointed Why do residents want Sadullapur renamed Bharatpur? Not all villagers support the name change Bharatpur name change proposal moves through official process GNIDA says development work will begin after monsoon as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Addas a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Eleven years after Sadullapur was selected as one of Greater Noida’s proposed ‘smart villages’, residents are still waiting for basic civic amenities. With poor roads, inadequate drainage and stalled development continuing to frustrate locals, a section of villagers is now seeking another change, renaming Sadullapur as Bharatpur, according to a report by TOI.Sadullapur was among 14 villages identified in 2015 for development under the smart village programme. The plan promised better infrastructure, including paved roads, reliable water supply, drainage systems, street lighting, parks and other public facilities.More than a decade later, residents say several of these promises remain on paper.For the nearly 7,000 residents of Sadullapur, the monsoon has made an already difficult situation worse. Roads leading into the village remain largely unpaved, while rain has turned stretches into muddy and slippery tracks.Inside the village, several manhole covers have reportedly sunk or disappeared. Broken drain culverts and abandoned RCC pipes can also be seen along the roads.Residents alleged that the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) dug up the village’s main access road around four years ago while laying a sewer line.
However, they said the road was never properly restored.Villagers have reportedly approached GNIDA repeatedly over the past two years, seeking the restoration of the road, but say their complaints have not brought any significant change.Poor connectivity has also affected access to healthcare.A private hospital in Greater Noida West is only around 3 km from Sadullapur. However, residents said traffic congestion combined with damaged roads can turn the short journey into a commute of at least an hour.For residents unable to afford private healthcare, the district hospital in Noida, around 18 km away, is the main alternative, making access to treatment even more difficult.“This is an urban village located in a busy city area, close to Greater Noida West. Look around, and all you can see are highrises. But see the condition of this place,” resident Prabhanshu Nagar told TOI.Sadullapur’s only pond has also become a source of concern.GNIDA began work around the pond last year, with residents saying officials had promised a tiled walkway around it. Instead, an iron net was installed, while the mud embankments continue to erode.Nagar told TOI that the mud banks frequently collapse into the pond. During heavy rain, he said, the water and surrounding muddy banks become difficult to distinguish, creating a potential safety hazard for residents.Amid their frustration over the lack of development, a group of residents began pushing for another change, the renaming of Sadullapur as Bharatpur.The residents submitted a petition to the state government last year and even met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in July to press for the proposal.Kamal Nagar, a local realtor supporting the demand, told TOI that residents believe the village's name has been one of the reasons it has been overlooked for development.“A group of local residents went to meet the CM last July.
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