Noida: The power distribution companies will conduct surveys to assess the infrastructure, including cables, substations and transformers, needed to extend temporary 2kW connections to hundreds of homes built illegally on Hindon and Yamuna floodplains in a bid to check rampant power theft.Power is currently supplied to the floodplain areas through a high-voltage distribution system (HVDS). To strengthen the network, the discom plans to build a substation with about 2km of 33kV line and 15km of 11kV line. A preliminary assessment puts the cost at Rs 22 crore for Noida and Rs 2.3 crore for Ghaziabad.“Based on the survey, a proposal for the power infrastructure will be drafted, which will be developed in line with the electricity demand of the area and help provide a systematic power network in the floodplain area,” PVVNL executive engineer (technical) Vaibhav Mishra told TOI.Officials said PVVNL and NPCL will maintain comprehensive records of all consumers in the floodplain areas and connections will be granted subject to residents bearing the costs of developing the electricity network and the connection itself. If the administration removed the illegally built homes from the floodplains, connections would be disconnected without prior consultation with the consumer. PVVNL supplies power to Noida, while NPCL to Greater Noida areas.In Aug, an extensive crackdown on illegal connections had exposed how parallel discoms were operating from the floodplains, with villagers allegedly running private distribution networks through their own transformers and supplying illegal electricity to hundreds of people living in floodplain settlements and illegal slums. Raids in Chhijarsi, Chotpur, Behlolpur, Garhi Chaukhandi and Parthala Khanjarpur villages uncovered over 14,000 illegal connections.The department initially registered multiple FIRs of power theft, but the drive was suspended amid protests by residents who faced disconnections in sultry conditions. Noida MLA Pankaj Singh raised the matter in the state assembly and urged that temporary connections be extended to those without power, in accordance with rules, on humanitarian grounds.The initial approval for providing temporary domestic connections to homes on the floodplains came on Sept 12. The approval, however, was conditional until a final decision was made on unauthorised constructions in the floodplain areas. It clarified that all such temporary connections for residents living in Yamuna and Hindon floodplain areas will not be construed as a legal right of residence or proof of property ownership. If ordered by a court or other authority, the premises will have to be vacated, and residents would also not be entitled to compensation in the event of floods.Superintending engineer (commercial) Umesh Singh Yadav said residents in the floodplain area had previously taken unauthorised connections through private contractors at Rs 8 per unit. They will now pay Rs 5.5-7 per unit, allowing them to access electricity at a lower cost. “This will also boost the revenue of the discom as it will curtail power theft, which was rampant in the area,” Yadav said.Of the over 14,000 unauthorised consumers in Hindon floodplain areas in Noida, about 4,000 have applied for temporary connections at special camps. A similar drive is currently underway in Ghaziabad, where hundreds of homes in Kanawani (population 500-600) and Shiv Vihar (population 8,000-10,000) fall in Hindon floodplain zone.
