’56 EVs, just two chargers in housing society’: Why Greater Noida man has gone to Supreme Court

“I was planning to buy an EV but I was concerned about the lack of charging infrastructure in my housing society. My sister-in-law, who lives with us and has an EV, is facing problems over this,” said Katyal, who works in the aquarium trade business.

“I was particularly keen on having a personal charging point, so I would not have to depend on shared or external infrastructure and avoid inconvenience in day-to-day usage. However, I faced resistance in getting approval for this,” he added.

As a professional with “very odd” working hours, Katyal found it impossible to rely on public charging stations, which were often occupied when he finally got off work.

“In my case, there is a commercial charging station within the society. However, given the high number of EVs in the community, it is almost always occupied. This leads to long waiting times and uncertainty around when I will be able to charge my vehicle,” he added.

Katyal said he sent several emails to the society management over six months.

In his initial email on May 26, 2025, he wrote: “I plan to install a certified EV charger, adhering to all necessary safety and electrical compliance standards… I assure you that all expenses related to the installation and usage will be borne by me.”

The response from the property management was that the request had been “forwarded to upper management”, he said.

But there was no response. By July, Katyal grew frustrated.

In an email dated July 24, 2025, he wrote, “It’s now 2 months since I have applied… many states have a policy for society to provide NOC within 7 Days… make sure now you don’t create any last minute chaos”.

Greater Noida’s Nirala Estate, a complex of 4,000 apartments. (Express Photo)

Katyal claimed the society remained non-committal, claiming they were “exploring the possibility” of space while pointing to the two existing chargers. In December, Katyal sent the final email, noting that the lack of home charging was affecting his “health, sleep, and daily routine”.

Deciding he had enough, he moved the apex court. On February 24, the Supreme Court took up Katyal’s plea. While Chief Justice Surya Kant initially voiced concerns about the mushrooming of PILs, the bench took it up.

His petition, filed through advocate Sriram Parakkat, relied heavily on the Centre’s “Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024”.

It read: “On September 17, 2024, the Ministry of Power, Government of India, issued Guidelines for Installation and Operation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure-2024… the EV Guidelines state that residents can install private EV charging stations in their designated parking spaces and the distribution licensee will ensure electricity supply through the resident’s existing meter or a separate sub-meter, depending on the consumer”.

After hearing the petition, the SC issued notice to the Centre and the Uttar Pradesh government, seeking their response on the implementation of the 2024 EV guidelines.

For Katyal, the next big date is May 22, when the case will be heard again.

Until then, his wait continues.