Living without power for 24 hrs

It’s Sunday evening. You’ve spent the weekend recharging your batteries and are looking forward to the week ahead. What could possibly go wrong?

It’s Sunday evening. You’ve spent the weekend recharging your batteries and are looking forward to the week ahead. What could possibly go wrong?

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A lot apparently, if you’re a resident of Ardee City, Gurgaon.

A burnt 42-metre cable rendered the entire township, housing 1,850 families, powerless for 24 hours, after supply was lost around 8.30 pm. What’s worse, the 425-acre privately developed township in Sector 52 doesn’t have power backup.

Many children missed schools, some slept in cars, while others were sent to their relatives in other parts of the city or Delhi as inverters gave in. Power was restored around 8.40 pm on Monday.

A high-tension cable wheeling power from the DHBVN (Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam) feeder to Ardee City, had burnt down.

“The expensive cable had to be ‘imported’ from Delhi,” said Brigadier (Retd) Vir Pal, general manager (Estate), Ardee Infrastructure that distributes electricity and maintains the distribution network.

“It’s a pity the maintenance agency cannot stock 40-50 metres of cable. This despite the fact that we pay about 10 per cent above Nigam rates to the agency in the form of service and maintenance charges,” said T N Kaul, general secretary of Ardee City RWA.

Angry residents blocked traffic on Monday evening, stormed into the maintenance office of the developers and gheraoed its senior officials after they failed to procure the cable. Police had to remove residents squatting on the Sector 56 road.