Broadband poles erected on highway berms a traffic hazard

Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, March 6

Poles erected by the power grid corporation on highways to provide broadband connectivity to villages have become a traffic hazard. Significantly, hundreds of poles were erected on berms in the district by the contractor of the power grid.

The company was authorised to erect poles on roadsides but at many places, it had erected them inside crash barriers fixed by the Public Works Department for safety at black spots. Such poles have not only made the spots more dangerous but have also narrowed the road, making it more prone to accidents. People in many villages objected to the installation of these poles as the job was done in a haphazard manner.

Ramesh Kumar of Karohta village said people were not against development but no one was heeding to their request to fix poles outside crash barriers. These poles would turn into death traps sooner or later, he added.

Surprisingly, hundreds of poles were erected on the roads in the district and the PWD, which is responsible for the maintenance of these roads, had turned a blind eye towards this matter. Notably, there are three divisions of the PWD here, including Barsar, Hamirpur and Natinal Highway division, but none had taken cognisance of the issue, as these poles had even become a hindrance in the road-widening process.

Vivek Sharma, executive engineer, said he had advised the contractor responsible for erection of poles to remove the poles from the front of crash barriers immediately and install them outside. He admitted that the poles were hindrance in the movement of traffic.