The Noida police on Monday sent 26 people to jail apart from arresting 45 others under Section 151 for protesting and interrupting the construction work of landfill in Sector-123 in Noida.
Police said that they got information on many residents of several sectors trying to interrupt the construction work at the landfill. They added that teams from several sectors were immediately sent to the spot to control the situation.
“We requested them to vacate the location peacefully but they didn’t do it. Instead, they started hurling stones at us. Following which, we had to use our force. We also used water cannon for around three minutes in order to disperse the protesters,” said Amit Kumar Singh, station officer of the Phase 3 police station.
The city magistrate, Mahendra Kumar Singh, said, “We will crosscheck where the arrested people are in the list of the 36 people who were issued notice on June 2. Strict action will be taken against the people who were on the list.”
“We have to follow the orders. Despite several notices, people are taking the law in their hands. We shall take strict action against them,” said Singh.
On June 2, the district administration issued notices to 36 people under section 111 of CrPC to fill two personal bonds of Rs 50,000 as a promise to maintain peace during the construction of the landfill.
Despite the notice sent by the district administration, thousands of residents from high rises, independent houses and nearby villages carried out a protest march against the Noida Authority’s decision on Sunday. The construction work of the landfill was only resumed after heavy security deployment.
The residents said that their MLA and Local MP have also not turned up to address the issue.
Raja Chaudhary, a villager, said that they only come during election time and request us to give our votes. “Now, when we need them, they are not seen and even the phone calls were also not received by the MLA Pankaj Singh and local MP Dr Mahesh Sharma,” Raja added.
A resident said, “The authority should not convert the place in a landfill. In future, if our children ask why you were silent when authority was constructing landfill at this place, then we will be having no answer. We are protesting against the landfill for the future generation.”
Abhay Pandey, a resident of a high rise Homes-121 in Sector-121, told City Spidey that people from his society were also detained by police. “Police also used lathi-charge at the site and some of the people were badly injured during it,” he added.
The Noida Authority started digging the construction site on Friday after the NGT issued an interim order on May 29 directing it to immediately stop dumping waste at a forest located in Sector-54.
