Gurgaon: Power cuts triggered by the strike by Haryana’s electricity employees disrupted water supply in several parts of the city on Thursday, leaving thousands of residents struggling to meet basic household needs. Outages at boosting stations left taps dry in affected colonies, while residents said repeated calls to electricity officials and helplines failed to bring relief.In Sector 9A, around 6,000 families were affected after power went off around 3.30am, residents said. The outage also hit the boosting station supplying the area, leaving households without drinking water. Supply had not been restored more than 16 hours later, said Suraj Bhola, general secretary of the Sector 9A residents’ welfare association (RWA).“I have called the officials nearly 50 times, but nobody is responding. There is no electricity at our homes. Inverters have run out, and now there is no water either because the boosting station is affected. How are people supposed to manage their daily needs?” Bhola said.He alleged the junior engineer was not answering calls, while the sub-divisional officer cited the strike. The helpline number issued by the district administration was of little help either. With no clarity on when supply would resume, residents could not plan their day or arrange alternative water. Tankers were also hard to find, he said.In Hari Nagar, more than 7,000 families were affected after power went off around 10pm on Wednesday and remained disrupted for more than 16 hours, residents said. Water supply was also hit, leaving families struggling to manage everyday needs.“People are suffering in their homes, children are struggling to study, and nobody is listening to us. Junior engineer (JE) and SDO are not answering calls. The office has been locked, and there is nobody available to address the complaints,” said Sumit Gujjar, Hari Nagar RWA president.He said employees had the right to protest but should not leave residents without essential services. “If employees have an issue with the govt, they should take it up with the govt instead of leaving residents without electricity and water,” he said.In some areas, line maintenance is handled by a private company that DHBVN has contracted to address staff shortages. Its workers have continued to maintain electricity lines and attend to faults and breakdowns in the areas covered by the contract, despite the ongoing strike by power department employees.The arrangement covers selected areas, including Badshapur, Tikli, Bhondsi, Rithoj, parts of South City and sectors 14, 17, 18 and 23, but not the entire city.Attempts to reach the DHBVN’s superintending engineers of circles 1 and 2 for comment did not elicit a response.
