Noida: Discom has begun issuing temporary power connections in the Hindon floodplain, days after it snapped thousands of illegal lines there in keeping with a 2017 NGT direction. The move follows repeated protests over the crackdown and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh’s push for relief for residents living without electricity in summer.The temporary connections, capped at 2kW, will be single phase and supplied through prepaid smart meters for Rs 1,600 per kW. Chief engineer Sanjay Kumar Jain said PVVNL managing director Raveesh Gupta gave the verbal order on Saturday, following which the process to allow temporary lines was initiated. A formal govt order is, however, awaited.At the Sector 63 substation, residents of Chhijarsi, Chotpur, Behlolpur and other floodplain settlements queued up with documents. Executive engineer Vaibhav Mishra said about 150 people had lined up by Sunday afternoon. Applicants were asked to submit Aadhaar, house registry papers and a photo of their house.The decision follows an enforcement drive in which more than 3,500 illegal connections were snapped and over 40 FIRs registered for electricity theft in Parthala, Sadullapur, Chotpur and Chhajarsi. Officials detected more than 150kW of theft. The drive was, however, suspended after protests.The issue was taken up at a Sept 3 meeting chaired by former chief secretary and State Transformation Commission CEO Manoj Kumar Singh in Lucknow. His Aug 27 report had flagged over 13,000 illegal connections in Chhajarsi.Singh’s report came as MLA Pankaj Singh met chief minister Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow last week, seeking temporary supply on humanitarian grounds. On Sunday, however, residents of more than 40 colonies from Takrala near Kulesara to Chhajarsi protested under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Parishad, seeking permanent connections. Its national president Sukhveer Khalifa said about 3 lakh families were affected.The controversy centres on why power supply is restricted in floodplains. In 2017, NGT clarified that a 100-metre no-development zone be made around floodplains pending demarcation. Authorities have treated floodplain settlements as areas where power connections cannot be provided. Such zones act as natural buffers, absorb floodwater, recharge groundwater and protect river ecology.Environmentalists fear the temporary supply could legitimise encroachments. “Instead of removing illegal encroachments, temporary connections will encourage them and make matters worse,” said Noida-based environmentalist Abhisht Kusum Gupta, who said he would approach NGT and Supreme Court.
Floodplain residents line up at Sector 63 substion for temporary power connections.
