The residents of Eldeco Aamantran, a high rise in Sector 119, Noida, are having tough time without power backup facility. When power goes off, they have no option but to live without the comforts of electricity. Almost 700 flats go into dark when there is a power cut.
They are facing this crisis after the enforcement of Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority’s (EPCA) guidelines. The developer had informed the residents that power backup facility will be discontinued at the society as violation of EPCA guidelines is subject to hefty fines.
Agitated residents said that this is not the first time when they are facing this problem. “Due to a fault in internal or main supply line, power supply was disrupted for three hours on October 17. During this period, all the flats went dark.”
Most of the residents including the senior citizens had no option but to sit idle at their respective flats during the outage. They told that they have shifted to their apartments few months ago and are not in the habit of managing such crisis.
A resident, Sanjay Mehta said, “As we all were having the power backup facility, we did not feel the need of having lamps at the homes. We never felt the need of it. But, after the sudden stopping of power backup facility, we are totally dependent on it.”
“The developer has cut the power backup supply on the pretext of the guidelines. According to it, there is a fine on operation of DG sets. But, anyways, the DG sets are running to provide essential services. It is still causing pollution. Only we are at the receiving end,” he said.
Mehta argued that if there is seriousness towards environment, then the operation of DG sets should be completely banned. He said that residents are of the view that the developer has opted for it for cost cutting and nothing else.
Residents raised the issue with competent authority, which invited them for discussion on the issue. It has been scheduled on Tuesday. Till then, the residents have been forced to face the situation.
