10 years on, shifting of power lines over houses gets nod

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, February 10

The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) has finally approved the shifting of overhead 66 KV lines in the residential area of Sector-3 here after a long wait of 10 years.

Authorities have been charged with sitting over the demand despite protests and representations by residents.

The HVPN in its communication to the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) on February 8 has demanded a budget of Rs 41.1 lakh for the re-routing or re-alignment of the lines.

As the cost of the realignment will be borne by the HSVP since it carved out the colony in 1990, a tender for the work is expected to be released soon, said an official of the HVPN.

Though the demand for shifting was raised several years ago, the matter was formally taken up by the HVPN with the HSVP on December 31 last when it asked the latter to start the re-routing work of the lines. While the HSVP had sought the rough cost estimate in its letter written on January 6, the HVPN on February 8 told the HSVP that an amount of Rs 41.1 lakh is required to be deposited for the work.

Rattan Lal Rana, secretary, RWA, said 90 plots having a size of 60 sq yard were carved under the 66 KV overhead line which he said was technically wrong and residents have been seeking its shifting for the past 10 years. As many as six electrocution incidents have taken place, he claimed.

Describing the overhead power line as a constant threat to human life, Subhash Lamba, president of the RWA, claimed that induction caused by lightning during rains had led to severe damage to home appliances in many houses last year. Besides shifting, the department ought to pay compensation for the loss suffered so far, he demanded.

“We will start the work of shifting these power lines as soon as the money is deposited by the HSVP for release of the tender,” said ML Garg, Executive Engineer, HVPN, Faridabad.