Ghaziabad electricity connections may soon be issued to around 2,000 homes in the Kanawani floodplain, ending a 12-year halt on new connections in the area. The move follows permission at the government level to provide temporary regular electricity connections to homes built in the Yamuna-Hindon floodplain, although local electricity officials said the process will begin only after formal instructions are received.
Residents of Kanawani have faced prolonged uncertainty because construction in the floodplain had led the electricity corporation to stop installing new infrastructure. For nearly 12 years, no new electricity connections were issued, and no additional poles, lines, substations or transformers were installed in the area. At the time the restrictions began, the locality had around 250 valid connections and only one transformer.
Despite the halt on official expansion, construction continued and new homes were occupied. According to the report, residents of these homes extended informal wires, commonly known as makeshift connections, from properties with valid electricity connections. Some transformers were also allegedly placed in the area through unauthorised arrangements. The existing system has not had sufficient capacity to serve the expanded settlement.
Residents have reported inadequate voltage, irregular supply and frequent faults. The only legally installed transformer in the area reportedly breaks down repeatedly. The electricity difficulties have led to repeated protests. Last month, residents blocked a road after alleging that valid electricity connections in the area had been disconnected.
The proposed temporary regular connections have raised expectations among more than 10,000 people living in the locality. Residents told the source that connections should be issued quickly so the area can move away from the electricity problems that have continued for years. However, permission to provide connections does not immediately create the network required to supply them safely and reliably.
The electricity corporation will need to prepare a new plan for Kanawani, including high-tension and low-tension lines, additional poles and transformers based on demand. Officials said planning could take two to three months after formal directions are received. The report did not specify the total cost, the number of transformers required or the conditions attached to the temporary regular connections.
Applications have already begun to accumulate. Residents started applying through the electricity corporation’s Jhatpat portal around two weeks ago, following the start of the connection process in similar areas of Noida. More than 400 people in Kanawani have reportedly applied, but the local connection process has not yet started. The next step is the issuance of official instructions, after which the corporation is expected to assess the infrastructure needed and prepare an implementation plan.
