Noida residents suffer due to power outages, low voltage

The increase in electricity demand due to rising temperatures has led to frequent tripping and power outages in Noida.

According to power officials, the outages were caused by a technical problem at a sub-station in Sector 129, which has now been rectified .

Residents complained of power outages lasting 30 minutes to two hours, and sometimes more, without prior information. According to them, the outages were due to the poor quality of power infrastructure that allegedly led to frequent breakdown of apparatus.

Those living in Sector 110, Bhangel and neighbouring areas of Phase 2 had to face three or four hours of power outages, due to a fault in the 220KW power sub-station in Sector 129 which broke down on Saturday. Residents in Sector 63’s D-block also faced power outage for three hours due to the replacement of a transformer nearby.

According to residents, their electrical appliances such as air conditioners and refrigerators were getting damaged due to voltage fluctuations.

Sadiq Anjum, a resident of Sector 110, said the area had no power from 12.30am till 4am on Sunday.

“We tried to contact the power department officials but their phones were not reachable. A lineman later informed us that there was a shutdown at the substation,” he said.

Akshay Kapoor, a resident of Stellar Greens, Sector 44, said instances of power tripping in the society have gone up.

“This has increased in the past week. A five to 10 minute voltage fluctuation is commonplace now, be it day or night. The society’s maintenance department shifts supply to a generator set during these intervals. Once the power supply resumes, we switch back. But this frequent tripping is affecting household equipment. My two TV sets developed technical faults due to the tripping,” he said.

Kapoor said if there is a technical fault in the transformer or sub-station, officials should inform residents in advance and shut power for only half-anhour.

“They should fix the problem and then resume power supply properly,” he said.

Brigadier (retired) Ashok Haq, a resident of Arun Vihar, Sector 28, and convener confederation of NCR residents’ welfare association (CONRWA), Noida chapter, said that power outages have become frequent in their sector.

“Power outages take place frequently and at random times of the day. There is also fluctuation and low voltage. This sometimes goes on for 30 minutes to two hours,” he said.

Haq said the problem is due to old infrastructure and lack of maintenance.

“The junction boxes and circuit breakers are rusted and the cabling is of poor quality. There is no pruning of trees, due to which, leaves, at times, get entangled with cables, leading to a short circuits. The shortage of maintenance staff is also a problem,” Haq said.

Vivek Agarwal, superintendent engineer at Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), said there was technical problem at a sub-station in Sector 129, which has now been rectified.

“Power supply in neighbouring sectors remained affected. Now we have fixed the issue,” he said. He added that residents in Sector 63’s D-block faced a power outage due to breakdown of a transformer.

“We have replaced the transformer and resumed power supply,” he said.

Agarwal said the power department is meeting the demand of 1,300 MW and there is no gap in demand and supply in Noida.

First Published:
Jun 03, 2019 13:17 IST

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