Why I Hate It When People Have Misconceptions About Noida And Diss The Place

I’ve been living in Noida for a while now. 5-6 years, give or take. When I was asked why I lived in Noida the first few years, I often told people that it’s where my University is and I’m too lazy to commute. But, now that college is done with, I’m still living right here. Why?

Well, familiarity for starters. Having lived here for five years, I saw no reason to move from Noida to say Delhi or Gurgaon. And in the usual weather that North India suffers from, I don’t really mind a decent commute in the air-conditioning of the Delhi Metro.

What bothers me about Noida? Well, lots of things. But, what bothers me most is when people diss Noida owing to some pre-conceived notion in their heads. ‘Ewwww…. Noida?’ is a very common reaction to get from people in Delhi. And not just Delhiites but, people from Gurgaon as well. I mean, Gurgaon walon ko किस बात का चॉद है? गाँव ही तो है उनका.

So, here goes. My attempt at dispensing a few misconceptions about Noida, Noida-peeps and everything and everyone in between,

Visit Noida at 9, Get shot dead by 10

Noida is unsafe, say a lot of people. Very, they say. A few have also suggested that the law and order situation in Noida is so bad that you can see drunk cops fighting drunk thieves while drunk people watch at night. Are these true or are they just misconceptions about Noida? And, is it unsafe?

Well, yes. Of course. It is. It’s a suburb of the National Capital and is a major hub in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Of course, it is. But, is it an unsafe as people say?

Yes and No. When compared to Delhi, recent statistics suggests that the level of crime in Noida is only marginally higher than Delhi. On the other hand, the crime rate progression in the capital has been quicker than Noida, with crimes in the former growing at a an increased rate of 2%.

These rates also differ in terms of what kind of crimes are being suggested. Delhi has a higher incidence of crimes against women while Noida has a higher incidence of thefts, vandalisms and armed robberies. Conversely, the level of corruption and bribery in Delhi is less while Noida has fewer criminal cases of people using or dealing drugs.

Read: How To Find Affordable, Quality Accommodation In Noida For Students And Office Professionals?

Summed up, there’s no splitting Noida and Delhi. If Noida is unsafe, so is Delhi. Equally.

Also FYI, that part about drunk cops and drunk thieves. That actually happens :P

Noida has nothing; No Trees, No Malls, No Nothing At All

Are you kidding me? Noida is today home to several reputed half-decent universities and educational institutions, as well as several software and tech firms, many of which are huge MNCs.

Do you really think Dell or IBM or HCL or any of the n number of law offices, schools and colleges would set up shop in Noida if it didn’t have anything?

The suburb of Delhi NCR is well-connected to not only the Greater Noida and UP by way of the Yamuna Expressway but, is also very accessible to the rest of Delhi by the Delhi Metro that extend all the way to Sector 50, and are set to be extended even more.

Also, Noida isn’t a barren wasteland that has nothing but colleges and call centres. Noida has a lot of amenities available in a lot of places, not just local kirana stores but, convenience stores too.

Apart from a decent selection of eateries and restaurants, Noida also has great shopping centres and malls such as Great India Place, Wave Centrestage Mall and the most recent, upscale Mall of India. There is also a huge DLF Galleria mall project that is soon to open next year.

All the negative blabber, bias, pre-conceived notions and misconceptions about Noida are #FAKENEWS

And, we have trees. Lots of them. Take that, NCR.

Noida is expensive AF

Expensive? Sure. Expensive AF? Na.

Maybe the electricity rate per unit and water is slightly more pricey that Delhi or Gurgaon counterparts and yes, bread and milk is usually Rs 2 or so costlier than when bought in Delhi, but Noida makes up for it by its fairly affordable and cheap, good quality housing rates. For somewhere around 7-10K, you can find a good, semi-furnished studio in a great locality with all amenities and accessibility.

And sure unlike Delhi, Noida has open sewers and a dumping-garbage-anywhere system, you can just stuff your nose and pretend it doesn’t exist.

A few other things,

1. Are Noida/U.P people generally rude and mean, their every breath laced with cuss words? Well, I honestly don’t think so. From experience, I can say that most people I have talked to are polite as long as you talk the same way and address them respectfully. A bhaiya really does go a long way.
2. The groundwater available in Noida IS worse than its Delhi and Gurgaon counterparts. No excuses there.
3. Don’t drive anywhere in Noida if you think drivers ought to be calm, rational people who obey all the traffic rules under the same. Same applies if you’re a newbie with driving. You’ll just get messed up.

Hope that clears up some of the usual misconceptions about Noida. Cheerio.

Image Sources: Google Images

Sources: Quora, Numdeo, DNAIndia

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