Ghaziabad high-rise faces frequent power outages

Officials of the Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), the local discom, said the problem stemmed from internal equipment failures at KW Shristi, which has 1,468 flats across 11 towers and 28 shops.

Residents of nearly 1,500 flats at a high-rise in Ghaziabad’s Raj Nagar Extension have been grappling with repeated power outages since Tuesday, with some forced to move out amid fears for vulnerable family members.

Hundreds of residents at KW Shristi high-rise in Raj Nagar Extension have been facing long and frequent power outages since Tuesday night in Ghaziabad. (Sakib Ali/HT PHOTO)

Officials of the Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), the local discom, said the problem stemmed from internal equipment failures at KW Shristi, which has 1,468 flats across 11 towers and 28 shops. The discom maintained there was no disruption in its external power supply.

For many, the outage became more than an inconvenience.

A 30-year-old resident said he had to shift his ailing parents to his brother’s home in Indirapuram after his father’s oxygen concentrator stopped working. “I had to carry my mother down unlit corridors in the middle of the night. It was pitch dark, and I managed with great difficulty,” he said, requesting anonymity.

The outages, residents said, triggered a list of problems: drinking water supply was disrupted as reverse osmosis filters stopped functioning; toilets ran dry, lifts stalled, and families living on the 20th and 21st floors had to climb down multiple flights of stairs.

“Multiple problems like hampering the drinking water supply, dysfunctional ROs and no water in bathrooms ensued… There were very frequent outages ranging from 2 to 7 hours at a stretch and threw life out of gear. The maintenance department should get all equipment checked and replace these immediately,” said Virender Indolia, a resident.

By Thursday, four towers were completely without electricity, and diesel generator (DG) sets also stopped working. “On Friday afternoon, power was restored to seven towers, but four continue to run on rented DG sets. We even approached the district magistrate’s office, after which police visited the complex,” said Dishyant Kumar Tyagi, vice-president of the apartment owners’ association.

Tyagi alleged improper maintenance led to the crisis, adding that residents now face steep DG set bills at nearly ₹18 per unit.

Ram Pravesh Bharti, the sub-divisional officer of PVVNL, said, “Initially, a high voltage device malfunctioned and later the vacuum interrupter also malfunctioned. The electricity outage issues were internal to the high-rise.”

The high-rise maintenance department said that they have outsourced the electricity work to a third party. “The electricity issues persisted since Tuesday and substantial time was consumed to check the equipment internally. There were issues of moisture and the ST devices had to be cleaned and dried up. The power from DG sets also went off due to prolonged use. Seven towers reported outages since Thursday night. On Friday, we got the issues fixed, but four of 11 towers are still running on DG sets which we bought on rent along with one standby DG set,” said PK Mishra, general manager of the maintenance department.