'Basic rights can't be denied': Noida's Ecovillage 1 residents face 8-hour blackout amid builder's unpaid power dues of Rs 1.8 crore
NOIDA: More than 25,000 residents of Ecovillage 1 in Greater Noida West faced an eight-hour outage on Monday after Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) disconnected supply over pending dues of Rs 1.8 crore. The incident comes barely days after the society witnessed violent clashes between residents and maintenance staff over a late-night power cut.
The latest outage began at 9.30am, when supply was snapped to all 48 towers of the society. Supply was restored only at 5.30pm after the builder's maintenance team provided a written assurance to clear the dues.
"Despite several reminders, the society failed to clear outstanding dues of around Rs 1.8 crore. Of this, Rs 1.3 crore was pending for over a year, while the remaining Rs 50 lakh was due since April 2023," an NPCL spokesperson told TOI.
The situation was all the more difficult for residents of Tower A, mostly comprising 1BHK apartments whose owners hadn't opted for power backup due to high charges. "NPCL tried its level best to harass us. Despite written assurance of payment, supply wasn't restored till evening," said Ranjana Suri Bhardwaj, a resident of Tower C6.
The power cut follows last Thursday's incident when residents clashed with guards over a nine-hour outage affecting seven towers. The confrontation turned ugly when maintenance staff and bouncers allegedly attacked residents, including women, who had gone to enquire about power restoration. Four maintenance staffers were arrested following the incident, which was captured on security cameras.
"Power and water are basic rights of a homebuyer and should not be denied under any circumstances, be it by the builder or discom," Bhardwaj said.
While some residents managed with power backup on Monday, those dependent on inverters struggled as air-conditioners couldn't function. Work-from-home professionals, children, and elderly residents were severely affected in the humid weather.
The police investigation into last week's clash continues, though no official report has been filed yet. Despite multiple attempts, the society's chief estate manager, Manu Tyagi, remained unavailable for comment.
Four maintenance staffers were arrested. They were Ravindra (33), Sohit (30), Sachin Kuntal (27), and Vipin Kasana (27).
The latest outage began at 9.30am, when supply was snapped to all 48 towers of the society. Supply was restored only at 5.30pm after the builder's maintenance team provided a written assurance to clear the dues.
"Despite several reminders, the society failed to clear outstanding dues of around Rs 1.8 crore. Of this, Rs 1.3 crore was pending for over a year, while the remaining Rs 50 lakh was due since April 2023," an NPCL spokesperson told TOI.
The situation was all the more difficult for residents of Tower A, mostly comprising 1BHK apartments whose owners hadn't opted for power backup due to high charges. "NPCL tried its level best to harass us. Despite written assurance of payment, supply wasn't restored till evening," said Ranjana Suri Bhardwaj, a resident of Tower C6.
The power cut follows last Thursday's incident when residents clashed with guards over a nine-hour outage affecting seven towers. The confrontation turned ugly when maintenance staff and bouncers allegedly attacked residents, including women, who had gone to enquire about power restoration. Four maintenance staffers were arrested following the incident, which was captured on security cameras.
"Power and water are basic rights of a homebuyer and should not be denied under any circumstances, be it by the builder or discom," Bhardwaj said.
While some residents managed with power backup on Monday, those dependent on inverters struggled as air-conditioners couldn't function. Work-from-home professionals, children, and elderly residents were severely affected in the humid weather.
The police investigation into last week's clash continues, though no official report has been filed yet. Despite multiple attempts, the society's chief estate manager, Manu Tyagi, remained unavailable for comment.
Four maintenance staffers were arrested. They were Ravindra (33), Sohit (30), Sachin Kuntal (27), and Vipin Kasana (27).
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