Enraged over unscheduled power disruptions, residents of Sonepat took to the streets on Friday night and Saturday morning. Residents of Saraswati Colony staged a protest late Friday night, while people from Ram Nagar, Vishal Nagar and Dahiya Colony blocked traffic on Suri Petrol Pump Street for around three hours on Saturday. Residents of Prabhu Nagar and Braham Colony also held protests for over two hours over power supply issues.
During the protest, an altercation took place between residents and the Ward-17 municipal councillor, who had reached the spot to pacify the protesters. A video of the incident also went viral on social media.
Irked over frequent power cuts and poor supply, residents of Saraswati Vihar Colony, led by Zila Parishad member Sanjay Badwasni, held a protest march on Saturday night. Badwasni said residents were facing severe inconvenience due to unscheduled power cuts and that the issue had become worse instead of being resolved.
He alleged that people were being forced to suffer despite paying hefty electricity bills. He said that while electricity connections were immediately disconnected if consumers failed to pay bills, officials were not addressing residents’ problems despite the ongoing humid and hot weather.
On Saturday morning, residents of Ram Nagar, Vishal Nagar and Dahiya Colony gathered near Vishal Nagar on Suri Petrol Pump Street and blocked traffic for around three hours. The protesters formed a human chain and also used a rope to prevent vehicles from passing.
The residents alleged that power supply had remained disrupted for the past three to four days. They said the irregular electricity supply had also affected drinking water supply, worsening their problems. They added that whenever electricity returned, the scheduled water supply hours had already ended, forcing people to struggle with daily needs. Children’s studies were also badly affected, they claimed.
The residents alleged that despite filing several complaints, no officials had visited to resolve the issue. They further claimed that power department officials switched off their mobile phones at night. They also alleged that transformers were overheating and sparking in power cables had become a routine issue.
After receiving information, Mayor Rajiv Jain, along with ACP Rajdeep Mor, XEN City Ranbir Deswal, SDO Kartik Rohila and councillor Sunita Bhola, reached Suri Petrol Pump Street and tried to pacify the protesters. The officials also inspected the streets to assess the condition of power cables.
Jain listened to residents’ complaints and, during the inspection, found several burnt power cables and weak transformer fuses, which were affecting electricity supply in the area.
The Mayor directed officials to replace the damaged power cables on priority and assured protesters of action, following which the residents lifted the traffic blockade.
Meanwhile, residents of Prabhu Nagar and Braham Colony blocked traffic on Old Rohtak Road over poor power and water supply. The residents alleged that the negligent attitude of power department officials had forced them to face hardships. They said daily life had been severely disrupted due to unscheduled power cuts and irregular water supply.
After receiving information about the traffic jam, Mayor Rajiv Jain and officials reached the spot, pacified the protesters and assured them of improved facilities.