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Recently, a video went viral on social media where around 350 cabs could be seen submerged in the waters due to the overflowing Hindon River in Greater Noida.
The flood was caused by the overflowing Hindon tributary of the Yamuna river which lies close to the parking lot. According to the district magistrate Gautum Budh Nagar, Mahesh Kumar Verma, the vehicles belonged to a private cab company. The company had reportedly been told to vacate the area owing to the impending floods but there was apparently no action.
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In response to the viral video, the ridesharing company Ola issued an official statement where its spokesperson said, "We have a valid lease agreement with Mahindra First Choice for a vehicle parking yard in Noida. Ola has not received any notice from the government authorities since the inception of our lease agreement in 2020. Any further queries may be directed to the lessor, Mahindra First Choice."
The video that went viral shows a low-lying area of Noida's Ecotech 3 locality where the Yamuna river overflowed over the week filled with water with hundreds of cars submerged in it.
Verma added on Twitter that, “A private company has built its own unauthorised yard in the submergence area of the Hindon River, which has not removed the vehicles parked here even after repeated warnings. Normal life has not been affected in any way here, and there has been no loss of life.”
The statement of authorities and the company differs on whether the notice issued to the company regarding the removal of cars or not. The question also arises whether the ridesharing company would be able to claim insurance coverage for their damaged vehicles or not. As the drowned car becomes scratched for the company and involves a high cost to repair damaged cars caused by water.
Some media reports also claimed a warning was also issued to Ola by Anil Yada, Deputy Commissioner of Police in Noida asking it to vacate the land as it was under high risk of flooding.
