Noida 2025: Year of anticipation - from airport to metro expansion; revival of Nithari, Akhlaq cases

Noida, Dec 31 (PTI) For Gautam Buddh Nagar, 2025 was a year of anticipation. From the long-delayed Noida International Airport at Jewar to metro expansion and air pollution, from resurrection of Dadri lynching case to the release of Nithari serial killings convict -- Noida and Greater Noida remained firmly on the national news map throughout the year, often for reasons that went well beyond local governance.

The most dominant story of the year was the Noida International Airport, envisioned as the country's largest aviation hub. Despite repeated assurances, the airport missed its commercial launch deadlines in 2025 also. It was originally scheduled for first phase launch in September 2024.

In December, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced in Uttar Pradesh assembly's winter session that the airport would be inaugurated in January 2026. Simultaneously, Phase-II land acquisition in villages across Jewar and adjoining areas moved ahead amid resistance, compensation negotiations and rehabilitation claims, keeping the district in continuous national focus.

The district residents who have long been denuding better public transport and last mile connectivity also waited for the extension of metro rail routes on three lines - Noida to Noida Extension, Sector 142 to Botanical Garden and Greater Noida to Bodaki. From detailed project report (DPR) to approval by state government or the Centre, each of these metro projects are stuck at different level, according an official.

In November, the Noida Authority opened the six-lane elevated Bhangel Flyover on the Dadri-Surajpur-Chhalera route for a trial, bringing relief to thousands of commuters. The long pending project was built at a cost of Rs 608 crore. However, city residents’ wait continued for the Chilla flyover and the FNG (Faridabad-Noida-Ghaziabad) Expressway, which are believed to cut time travel to Delhi and Faridabad significantly. The proposed Noida Film City along the Yamuna Expressway, a pet project of Adityanath, also remained in working.

Beyond the infrastructure, it was court decisions that put the spotlight on the twin cities.

In November, the second of the convicts in the sensational Nithari serial killings of children, Surinder Koli, walked out of the Luksar jail following acquittal by the Supreme Court in the last pending case against him after 19 years. The other accused in the case and Koli's employer Moninder Singh Pandher had already been released in 2023.

The anguished parents of the deceased children told PTI they had "accepted defeat" and left their hopes for justice "in the hands of god".

In December, the additional district and sessions’ court dismissed the Uttar Pradesh government's plea seeking withdrawal of charges against the accused in the 2015 lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri. The court found the application filed by the prosecution as "baseless" and instead directed that the trial be conducted on a day-to-day basis, advocate Yusuf Saifi, counsel for Akhlaq's family, had told PTI.

In August, a Supreme Court order to relocate stray dogs in Delhi NCR led to widespread protests by dog lovers in Noida and Greater Noida. There were also multiple incidents of brawls between dog feeders and residents of societies, many of them requiring police intervention.

Environmental concerns ran parallel to infrastructure growth. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) repeatedly pulled up Noida and Greater Noida authorities over poor air quality, unchecked construction dust, and failure to recover environmental compensation from violators.

During peak winter months, AQI levels in Noida and Greater Noida frequently slipped into the ‘very poor’ category, making the district a recurring mention in national pollution trackers and health advisories.

The tribunal also sought compliance reports on sewer connectivity in urban villages and dust-mitigation measures along arterial roads.

Law and order issues also kept the district under the national spotlight. Amid rising cases of cybercrimes, including digital arrests and fraud on pretext of investment, shootouts, student-related violence and organised crime cases featured prominently in national media, raising questions about policing in rapidly expanding urban clusters.

In one widely reported case, a shooting involving students in a private hostel sparked renewed debate on safety and the regulation of private accommodations. In July, a suicide at a prominent private university committed suicide and left behind a suicide claiming harassment by varsity officials, prompting police investigation.

In August, 26-year-old Greater Noida resident Nikki Bhati was allegedly set ablaze by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands. The police later made multiple arrests in the case, including husband and in-laws, even as allegations countering the dowry death claim also surfaced while the National Commission for Women stepped in and demanded a fair, time-bound probe into matter.

Amid police encounters and gang-related arrests through the year, the department reinforced its dexterity with crackdown on cyber thugs. In one case, a family lost over Rs 12 crore in investment fraud while one complainant was duped of Rs 1.70 crore in digital arrest.

According to an official data of 2023, 2024, and 2025, as many as 1,574 cyber criminals have been arrested, Rs 118 crore of duped funds frozen in banking system and Rs 58 crore lost money returned to victims. Specific data for 2025 was not available.

Traffic and mobility emerged as a recurring challenge. With expressways serving as lifelines between Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh and Agra, Noida and Greater Noida witnessed frequent traffic advisories due to VIP movements, religious processions and construction works.

Greater Noida further cemented its role as a national and international exhibition hub in 2025. Mega events such as Bharat Tex 2025, UP International Trade Show, hosted at India Expo Centre and Mart, attracted global buyers, policymakers and industry leaders, underlining the region’s growing economic significance beyond real estate.

Administrative decisions in 2025 also reflected the district's unique position straddling Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, the Gautam Buddh Nagar administration directed private establishments to grant paid leave to Delhi-registered voters, a move that received national attention for its cross-border electoral implications.

By the end of 2025, Noida and Greater Noida stood at a crucial inflection point - poised to host a landmark international airport, battling chronic pollution, managing rapid population inflows, and asserting themselves as economic and exhibition centres of national relevance.

As the district heads into 2026 with the promise of the Jewar airport hopefully taking flight, the year gone by made one thing clear: Gautam Buddh Nagar is no longer just Delhi's satellite - it is a national story in its own right. PTI KIS ZMN