Dust storm wreaks havoc in Noida Sector-151, damages shops, buildings

A sudden dust storm hit Delhi-NCR, causing major damage in Noida’s Sector-151. In one of the most striking scenes, a shop outside the JP Aman Society was blown away by strong winds. A video shared widely on social media shows the shop flying apart as high-speed gusts and thick dust clouds reduce visibility to near zero.

Residents captured the clip from their balconies. It shows how the storm uprooted the shop structure completely, leaving debris scattered across the area.

In the JP Aman Society itself, strong winds shattered windows, brought down doors, and ripped air conditioners from building exteriors. Several residential buildings suffered damage. Falling tree branches and debris also hit many parked vehicles. Entry gates were torn off in some places.

Watch the devastation caused by the storm in Noida. This video is from JP Aman Society, where even the windows and doors of the flats were torn off. Homebuyers are furious, alleging extremely poor construction quality in the building of these flats. pic.twitter.com/Lov7F9IabA

— Kunal Verma (@thekunalverma) May 17, 2025

The storm also hit nearby areas. In Greater Noida’s Jewar region, strong winds uprooted trees and electric poles in villages such as Salarpur, Atta Gujran, Kanarsi, Junedpur, and Bilaspur. Power cuts were reported across several parts of the city. The Noida-Greater Noida Expressway saw traffic delays until emergency workers cleared the roads.

While the storm brought a short break from the heat, pollution levels remained high. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported wind speeds between 40 and 50 km/h, with light rain in parts of Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad.

Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 278, which falls under the ‘poor’ category. Wazirpur recorded PM10 levels at 847 µg/m³, more than eight times above the safe limit. Other areas like Anand Vihar, Rohini, and Bawana also reported high pollution.

Due to weather conditions, the Commission for Air Quality Management enforced Stage 1 of the Graded Response Action Plan to control pollution.

Despite a dip in temperature, Delhi saw its highest electricity demand of the season. The State Load Dispatch Centre recorded 6,867 megawatts on Friday afternoon. Officials expect power demand to rise further in the coming days, possibly crossing last year’s peak of 8,656 MW.

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