After weeks of tolerating sweltering warmth with out electrical energy, residents of Kulesara, Lakhanawali, and Sutyana in Better Noida’s Hindon river belt scored a partial however important victory on Thursday when the district administration agreed to 4 of their calls for.
Neighbourhoods resembling Shyam Vihar Colony (100 kV/A), Jai Hanuman Colony (50 kV/A), and Parshuram Vihar Colony (25 kV/A) are underserved and residents of those areas have demanded set up of recent transformers. (HT Images)
The administration has agreed to the fast restore of all broken transformers in Kulesara and Sutiyana, upgradation of transformer load wherever needed, set up of recent transformers in underserved areas, and formation of a devoted committee to deal with electrical energy points till they’re totally resolved. Nevertheless, they didn’t conform to the demand of offering authorized electrical energy connections to all households in these areas.
“No legal electricity connections will be granted in areas designated as floodplains, as there are strict instructions from the Uttar Pradesh government against providing connections to any households or establishments developed in these restricted zones,” mentioned Manoj Jha, spokesperson of Noida Energy Firm Restricted (NPCL).
The station home officer of Surajpur police refused to touch upon protesters’ allegations that police tried to suppress the protest via preventive detentions.
“This is not just a win for Kulesara, Sutyana, and Lakhanawali, this is a message to every neglected colony that collective struggle can compel the system to listen. For years, our people have suffered in silence but today, we managed to successfully make our voices heard. Our fight will continue until every home has a legal electricity connection and functioning meters”, mentioned Rupesh Rai, coordinator of the Ekta Sangharsh Samiti which led a mass protest towards the administration on Thursday, after which the administration agreed to 4 of their calls for.
“Around 500 locals participated in the protest today,” he added.
Neighbourhoods resembling Shyam Vihar Colony (100 kV/A), Jai Hanuman Colony (50 kV/A), and Parshuram Vihar Colony (25 kV/A) are underserved and residents of those areas have demanded set up of recent transformers.
Neighbourhoods alongside the Hindon in Gautam Budh Nagar have confronted extreme electrical energy points for years, however the disaster worsened drastically in latest weeks, locals alleged. “In several areas, transformers are either damaged or completely missing. With no electricity during peak summer, daily life for residents, especially children, the elderly, and women, has become unbearable”, mentioned Durga Devi, a resident of Pawan Enclave, Sutiyana.
Manorma Devi, of Ram Vihar colony, Lakhanawali alleged, “Despite repeated appeals to the administration, no substantial action was taken until now. We now hope that efforts will be taken to address the situation here.”
The Samiti had introduced a peaceable demonstration on the district Justice of the Peace’s workplace in Surajpur, Better Noida, on Wednesday, mobilising hundreds of residents, together with ladies and kids, from the affected colonies. Anticipating the protest, native police allegedly tried to detain key leaders, and suppress the gathering. Nevertheless, folks turned out in massive numbers, efficiently resisting the crackdown and liberating detained protesters from police autos.
Protesting locals and Samiti members alleged that makes an attempt had been made to arrest Samiti leaders, however the gathered public managed to intervene and rescue them from police autos. Even native intermediaries who tried to barter a halfway compromise had been firmly rejected by the residents, who remained decided to see their calls for met in full.
“Despite attempts by the police to stop us, we stood our ground and reached the DM office in full strength and submitted our memorandum with five clear demands,” added Rai.