Noida: After former state chief secretary and CEO of State Transformation Commission Manoj Kumar Singh has flagged over 13,000 illegal power connections in parts of the Hindon floodplains in a report to the CM on Aug 27, a meeting was held in Lucknow on Thursday to discuss the issue.It was chaired by Singh and attended by senior officials from various departments, including UPPCL, PVVNL, the state irrigation department, urban development department, Noida Authority and Gautam Budh Nagar district administration.After the massive power theft was detected, discom officials snapped more than 3,500 illegal power connections during a four-day drive in Parthala, Sadullapur, Chotpur and Chhajarsi areas of the Hindon floodplains and filed over 40 FIRs for alleged electricity theft. Over 150 kilowatts of power theft was detected. The drive continued till Aug 31 but had to be suspended after protests and unrest among residents.The drive remains suspended in the floodplain areas of GB Nagar but continues in Dadri and Greater Noida.GB Nagar MLA Pankaj Singh reached out to the CMO and senior power department officials, urging that valid electricity connections to houses on the floodplain should not be affected. He also suggested temporary connections on humanitarian grounds. Chief engineer of Noida power department Sanjay Kumar Jain told TOI, “A decision for temporary power connections may be taken in a few days.”National Green Tribunal had on July 13, 2017, prohibited construction on floodplains—and, by extension, access to water and power for illegal occupants. A 2016 central govt notification designated them as construction-free zones.Union ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation’s Oct 7, 2016, order defines a floodplain as the area along a river or its tributaries that is inundated during a once-in-100-year flood and empowers local authorities to remove unauthorised structures that interrupt continuous water flow or cause river pollution to preserve their natural groundwater recharge functions.Noida Authority general manager RP Singh said the final decision about the occupants of the floodplains will be taken in compliance with the orders. He said the meeting aimed to cut out middlemen and provide benefits to citizens.
