500 families of Gurugram’s IREO project hit as angry villagers locked in land dispute with builder cut off power supply

More than 500 families living in IREO’s The Corridors, Sector 67A, Gurugram, experienced a power outage on March 12 when ‘unknown elements’ cut the power lines during an ongoing land conflict between the developer and the Ramgarh village landowners, as stated by the Residents Welfare Association (RWA).

Along with the power outage, the landowners have obstructed the main access route to the project, making it harder for residents to get to their homes, it noted. The RWA has called on officials to restore both power and access and to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“For the past few days, tensions have been rising due to the complete blockage of the primary access road leading to IREO The Corridors. The landowners, engaged in a dispute with IREO, have dug up the road and constructed a wall, forcing residents to take an inconvenient detour through Ansal Essentia to enter their own society,” it said.

The announcement indicated that vital services, such as electricity and water supply, are currently at risk. The electricity cables from DHBVN and the water supply lines from HUDA that service the community run through the ‘disputed land.’ It mentioned that the recent cutting of power lines has left the whole society in darkness, compelling residents to depend on expensive and unsustainable diesel generator (DG) sets for essential power requirements.

In spite of numerous requests to local law enforcement, no definitive measures have been implemented to safeguard residents or maintain vital services. It should be emphasized that this is not the initial occurrence of this kind; comparable conflicts previously have resulted in power outages, leaving inhabitants powerless, the statement mentioned.

The Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of IREO The Corridors has called on the relevant authorities to guarantee the prompt restoration of electricity and other vital services to the community. “Detect and enforce stringent measures against the individuals accountable for severing the DHBVN power cables,” the statement declared.

“Mediate and resolve the dispute between the developer and landowners to prevent further inconvenience and harm to innocent residents,” the statement said.

“The RWA urges the Gurugram police, district administration, and the commissioner of police to take immediate and decisive action to ensure that such incidents do not recur. With 500 families living in fear of further disruptions, it is imperative that the authorities step in immediately to restore normalcy, uphold the law, and ensure that innocent citizens are not made to suffer due to a private land conflict,” the statement added.

In a statement, IREO said that the disruption in power supply to The Corridors project is the handiwork of some anti-social elements. “The regular access to The Corridors is through a 24-metres road, which is very much available and pliable. However, the temporary access provided for added convenience of the residents through the village has been blocked by the villagers owing to some land dispute interest. The land in question is not owned by IREO and matter has been taken up by RWA with the local police,” the statement said.