Authorities race to re-install transmission line, angry Noida residents losing patience

Officials of the department have assured to ensure partial supply in some areas till the tower is re-installed. But residents complained of prolonged power cuts throughout the day. They have threatened to take to the <g data-gr-id="28">streets,</g> if the situation doesn’t improve in the next 48 hours.

The department has already repaired the transmission line and is now working on re-installing the tower in Sector 129, along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. Therefore, it has shut operations at a 220KV <g data-gr-id="30">sub-station</g>, which supplies 300MW power to the city. The department announced outages starting <g data-gr-id="31">4am</g> (Sunday) till <g data-gr-id="32">4pm</g> (Monday).

In order to ensure at least 10-hour supply, the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has assured supply from two other sub-stations located in Sectors 20 and 66. “To meet the requirement, we have chalked out an alternative plan. We have been supplying power from two sub-stations in the city,” said a senior UPPCL official.

“With most industries closed on Sunday, 200MVA additional supply helped run Noida. Only a few units, which run 24x7, will get the <g data-gr-id="37">supply,</g> while the remaining power will be diverted to residential sectors. We have decided to complete the re-installation process by Sunday. But if it rains or the weather turns bad, we have taken time till Monday,” said the official.

NP Singh, president of the Federation of Noida Residents’ Welfare Association (FoNRWA), said: “Government agencies claim to make Noida a ‘smart city’, but there is no end to residents’ woes. Regular power cuts have worsened the situation. The department must take help from neighbouring districts to meet the city’s power demand. As we have been facing extreme power and water crisis, we have decided to start a massive agitation against the departments concerned. We are likely to begin our protest from Tuesday.”