Noida : Residents of Noida’s 100x sectors faced a harrowing Thursday morning when a six-hour-long power outage disrupted not just electricity but also water supply across several high-rise societies. The blackout, which began around 7 am and stretched past 1 pm was traced to a failure in the 11kV feeder line connected to the Sector 122 substation.
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Water woes add to residents’ struggle
The outage halted operations at the local pumphouse, cutting off water supply to at least five to six residential societies, including Gaur Grandeur, RG Residency, Amrapali Zodiac (Platinum), Aranya and Eldeco. With no backup system like a diesel generator in place, residents struggled without water for basic needs, amplifying frustration in already difficult living conditions.
Community leaders highlighted that over one lakh residents depend on this system, making the absence of a backup power source a serious civic lapse.
Cause of the breakdown
According to officials, the outage was triggered when moisture seeped into a cable box, causing sparking. The situation worsened due to tree branches entangled with overhead wires, coupled with high humidity from recent rains, which slowed down repair work. While electricity was officially restored around 1 pm, residents reported frequent power fluctuations continuing until nearly 6 pm.
Residents angry
Local representatives, including Nikhil Singhal, President of the Noida High-Rise Federation (NHRF) and Kapil Mehra, NHRF Secretary, criticized the aging infrastructure and overloaded substations saying such outages have become “routine” in new sectors. They demanded urgent upgrades and the installation of backup power systems at critical points like pumphouses to prevent water supply breakdowns.
Authorities respond
Noida Authority officials admitted the shortcomings and promised corrective measures. They assured residents that the pumphouse backup issue would be resolved soon and that efforts were underway to boost Ganga water supply to the affected areas within the next few days.
Chronic civic infrastructure
This incident highlights the chronic civic infrastructure gaps in Noida’s rapidly growing 7x and 100x sectors. Despite more than a decade of habitation, residents continue to face shortages of markets, parks, health facilities, petrol pumps, and adequate power and water infrastructure. As urban development expands, experts argue that sustainable planning and resilient civic systems must take priority to ensure that residents don’t pay the price for unchecked growth.