Noida Floodplain Residents Stage Protest Demanding Electricity Connections
Residents living on the Hindon floodplains in Noida organized a significant protest outside the chief engineer's office in Sector 16 on Thursday, vociferously demanding legal power connections for their households. The demonstration, which involved a planned foot march to the district magistrate's office, was halted by police intervention, prompting protesters to continue their agitation at the original location.
Widespread Impact Across Multiple Villages
Nearly one lakh people reside on the Hindon floodplains within Gautam Budh Nagar district, spanning several villages including Garhi Chaukhandi, Chotpur, Sorkha, Haldoni, Kulesra, Devla, and Patwari. These communities have been persistently requesting electricity connections for multiple years, with their plight gaining political attention when Noida MLA Pankaj Singh raised the issue in the state assembly on February 18, advocating for at least conditional or temporary power connections for affected families.
Personal Stories Highlight Daily Struggles
Preeti Devi, a 30-year-old protester from Sorkha village, shared her family's journey from Begusarai in Bihar approximately fifteen years ago. "We initially stayed in rented accommodation before purchasing a 50 square meter plot for Rs 5 lakh eight years ago," she explained. "The land was properly registered, and we constructed a small house. However, authorities have consistently denied us an electricity connection."
Devi revealed that the absence of legal power supply has compelled some residents to resort to unauthorized connections. "People extend long wires from nearby poles, but frequent load shedding causes supply interruptions, leading to conflicts among neighbors," she described. "The power department regularly conducts enforcement drives, cutting these illegal connections and exacerbating the problem."
Regulatory Challenges and Educational Impact
Kalawati, a 28-year-old resident originally from Ballia in Uttar Pradesh, purchased a 60 square meter plot for Rs 7 lakh eight years ago without realizing it fell within a floodplain zone. "The property registration proceeded without objection at that time," she stated. "Now we are informed the area is unauthorized, making power connections impossible to obtain."
This regulatory impasse has created severe practical difficulties. "Children in our community study by candlelight, and even charging mobile phones presents a significant challenge," Kalawati emphasized, highlighting how the electricity shortage affects daily life and education.
Organized Protest Movement Gains Support
Thursday's demonstration received substantial backing from the farmers' organization Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU). According to BKU president Sukhveer Khalifa, residents have been protesting at the engineer's office since February 9. "When our demands remained unaddressed, we organized this protest march," he declared. "We submitted a formal memorandum to the city magistrate and will continue our agitation until a viable solution emerges."
Official Response and Regulatory Context
Noida city magistrate Arvind Kumar Mishra confirmed receiving the memorandum from protesting residents. "The power department has already prepared a comprehensive report on this issue and forwarded it to the government," he stated. "We will communicate updates once the government's decision is finalized."
This situation unfolds against a complex regulatory backdrop. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has repeatedly directed authorities in Noida and Greater Noida to remove encroachments from the Hindon floodplains, consistently emphasizing that no illegal construction can be permitted within this eco-sensitive zone. However, implementation progress has been notably slow, creating tension between environmental regulations and residents' basic needs.
The protest underscores the growing frustration among floodplain residents who seek basic infrastructure while navigating regulatory restrictions that classify their settlements as unauthorized. As the agitation continues, all eyes remain on governmental authorities to balance environmental protection with humanitarian concerns regarding essential services.
