Noida: RWAs warn of protest, say genset ban strange and impractical

NOIDA | GHAZIABAD: There is huge resentment among residents of highrises of Noida and Ghaziabad over the ban on diesel generators, which RWAs have termed “impractical” and “strange” in the absence of uninterrupted power supply. RWA representatives said in group housing societies, emergency services and supplies to flats are jointly run and there is no provision to separate them.

Some societies are planning to stage a protest if they are not allowed to use gensets, saying that the order should be implemented only after the state government keeps its promise of round-the-clock power supply.

Residents said at a time the culture of working from home and online classes is being encouraged due to the pandemic, implementing this order is not possible at all.

Alok Kumar, the founder of the Federation of Association of Apartment Owners of Ghaziabad, said there are around 270 societies in Ghaziabad, of which 75 are in Indirapuram, and they are dependent on gensets due to erratic power supply.

“We cannot imagine running a society with gensets. Several RWAs have called us to inform us about problems being faced by them. Many societies are planning to resort to agitation in case they are not allowed to run gensets,” he added.

Residents said those with medical problems will be hit the most. “Due to the ban, power backup to the flat of a lung cancer patient has to be disconnected. The family is in a quandary now. Moreover, the medicines of my wife and me are kept in a small refrigerator at home. Blackouts for small durations are understandable, but outages for longer periods will definitely lead to the expiry of our medicines,” Vinay Mittal, president of Kaushambi Apartments RWAs (KARWA), said.

Some RWAs, meanwhile, have issued advisories to residents to prepare them for prolonged outages.

“In case of power failure, generators can be used only for emergency services such as lifts. You are all advised to keep a sufficient number of candles and arrange inverters for domestic use,” read a message by the Orange County RWA.

In Noida, residents’ groups said the situation wou-ld not have arisen had the state government fulfilled its promises of interrupted power supply.

“If the power department is able to provide power round-the-clock, gensets won’t be needed at all,” said Rajesh Sahay, general secretary of the Federation of Apartment Owners’ Association, Noida.

Residents of some housing societies had planned to pool resources to switch to gas gensets, but lack of finances and other challenges due to the pandemic disrupted the plan.

In Greater Noida West, the 74 apartment complexes in the area don’t have separate power lines for lifts. Turning on gensets during outages will supply power to the flats as well, leading to usage of more diesel. The president of Noida Extension Flat Owners Welfare Association, Abhishek Kumar, said they have sought clarity from the electricity department over running backup generators for operations of lifts and elevators. “It is essential to run lifts in high-rise societies,” said Kumar.