Noida Sec 108: Residents of Divine Meadows stage protest to demand water, electricity

Around 50 residents of Divine Meadows Apartment Complex, located in Noida’s Sector 108, on Wednesday protested outside the apartment builder’s residence for alegedly being made to live without electricity and water for the last three days in the scorching summer heat.

Around 50 residents of Divine Meadows Apartment Complex, located in Noida’s Sector 108, on Wednesday protested outside the apartment builder’s residence for allegedly being made to live without electricity and water for the last three days in the scorching summer heat.

The protesters, who belonged from 50 families and consisted some elderly, staged a demonstration outside Divine Meadows director Rajeev Sharma’s Sector 19 residence, demanding basic civic amenities in their high-end apartment complex. (Ishwar Chand/ HT photo)

The protesters, who belonged from 50 families and consisted some elderly, staged a demonstration outside Divine Meadows director Rajeev Sharma’s Sector 19 residence, demanding basic civic amenities in their high-end apartment complex. The builder had to call the police and his staff to disperse the aggrieved home-buyers.

“We had to gather outside Rajeev Sharma’s house because no staff member or the builder himself were willing to address our grievances. The apartment complex has no electricity and no drinking water in this summer season. We have written to the Noida authority many a times for help, but nothing has happened. We do not know where to go,” said SP Singh, a resident of Divine Meadows.

The Divine Meadows housing project, consisting 440 dwelling units, was started in 2009 with the builder promising to deliver flats by 2011. The project, however, was delayed.

“In 2014, the builder cheated us and offered us possession of incomplete flats. Work in two out of the five towers is still underway. Children and elderly are the worst hit in the complex as they are unable to sleep in the absence of electricity,” said Surendra Maurya, a resident who protested on Wednesday.

The builder, buyers said, has stopped construction and not provided for even the basic facilities.

Around 250 families are at present living in three seventeen storey towers in Divine Meadows.

“The builder has installed a 325 KVA generator that is unable to bear the load of power consumed by 250 families in this scorching summer. Because of poor upkeep, the generator set functions only during the day time and fails to supply power during night time. The water reservoir too is in a pathetic state with dead rats and birds floating in it. The lift does not work due to lack of power supply and the elders cannot move out of their homes using the stairs,” said Singh.

The disgruntled residents threatened to intensify their agitation and protest outside the Noida authority office if the issues are not addressed soon.

“Home buyers have not yet lodged any complaint to me. If they are facing some problem then we will look into it and act appropriately,” said Amit Mohan Prasad chief executive officer of the Noida authority.

The protesters said that director Rajeev Sharma did not meet the protesters on Wednesday and instead locked himself up inside his house. Sharma did not reply to repeated calls and text messages. Another director of Divine Meadows Mahendra Bansal also did not respond despite repeated calls.

Residents said they will meet Uttar pradesh industry minister Satish Mahana to get their issues addressed if the Divine Meadows authorities did not listen to their pleas.

“If the residents are deprived of basic amenities, like water and electricity, then action can be taken if a complaint is filed in my office,” said BN Singh, district magistrate Gautam Budh Nagar.