Dombivli Smart Meter Row: MSEDCL Issues 24-Hour Notices To Two Housing Societies, Residents Protest Power Cut Threat

Dombivli: A growing confrontation between the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) and residents over the installation of smart electricity meters has escalated in Dombivli, with two housing societies reportedly facing the threat of a power disconnection within 24 hours for refusing to allow the installation.

Sai Deep And Indraneel Societies Receive Notices From MSEDCL

Sai Deep and Indraneel housing societies, each comprising around 40 members, have received notices directing them to remove locks from their electricity meter boxes and cooperate with the smart meter installation process. The notices have triggered anxiety among residents and raised questions over the electricity utility’s approach to securing consumer cooperation.

The dispute intensified after MSEDCL employees and contractors allegedly visited the residence of Sai Deep society chairman Amey Parkar on Friday afternoon and handed over a notice to his family. Parkar was reportedly not at home when the notice was delivered.

Society Warned Of Power Cut If Meter Box Lock Not Removed Within 24 Hours

According to the society, its meter box had been locked, preventing contractors from accessing the existing meters for replacement. The notice reportedly warned that unless residents agreed to the installation of smart meters and removed the lock within 24 hours, the electricity supply to the entire society could be disconnected.

The society had received an earlier notice on September 30, followed by another on October 30, intensifying concerns among residents over the possibility of a collective power cut.

Society Chairman Amey Parkar Criticises Electricity Department's Approach

After learning about the latest notice, Parkar discussed the matter with other society office-bearers and took to social media to publicise the issue and criticise what he described as the electricity department’s high-handed approach.

The residents have demanded that MSEDCL convene an immediate meeting with society representatives to address their concerns and clarify the issues surrounding smart meter installation. They maintain that the utility should engage with consumers and resolve their doubts rather than resort to the threat of disconnecting electricity to an entire residential complex.

MSEDCL Executive Engineer Jagdish Bodkhe, however, said the department had been directed to install smart meters and that the 24-hour notice had been issued in accordance with those instructions.

The controversy comes amid growing resistance in several housing societies, where residents have reportedly locked meter boxes, preventing contractors from carrying out replacement work. Contractors are now approaching larger residential societies, bringing the dispute into sharper focus.

Social activist Raju Nalawade has warned MSEDCL against forcibly implementing the installation drive. He said any attempt to impose the decision on unwilling residents could trigger a major agitation and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the notice.

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