High-tension power wires too close for comfort near Pathankot Chowk

Tribune News Service

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, December 27

Perilously suspended electricity cables, hanging just 6-7 feet over the road near the Electricity Board office at Pathankot Chowk, have put the lives of commuters, shopkeepers and those living nearby in danger.

PSPCL Officials apathetic

Though PSPCL’s office is nearby, no action is being taken. These wires sometimes snap, putting people’s lives at risk. — Kashmir Singh, Local trader

Estimate done, Action soon

We have taken out an estimate to set these dangling high-tension electricity wires right. The work will begin soon. — Jaspal Singh, PSPCL Addl Supt Engg

Ruing the apathetic attitude of officials, locals say they have made a number of complaints to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) about the dangling cables in the area, however, no action has been taken yet.

A visit to the location revealed that the high-tension wires pass just a few feet above the roofs of a considerable number of shops and kiosks in the area. Besides, it poses a constant threat to the lives of commuters as the road is one of the busiest routes in the city and a common site of traffic commotion.

Moreover, as the chowk is close to the Industrial area and it also connects to the National Highway, there is a huge movement of heavy vehicles on the road, thus, the chances of wires getting snapped are high. The shopkeepers also complain that commuters park their cars and bikes on the roadside under the wires, ignorant of the risk these wires pose. Besides, fruit and vegetable vendors can be spotted risking their lives by standing on the road under the wires.

Kashmir Singh, a shopkeeper in the area, says though the electricity board office is on the same road, and officials concerned were well aware of the issue, no action is being taken. He said whenever they go to the authorities concerned, they pass the buck to other officials, ignoring the threat the dangling wires pose to people. “These wires sometimes get snapped due to the movement of heavy vehicles, putting several lives in jeopardy. We want a concrete solution to this,” he adds.

“This is unfortunate that in a big city like Jalandhar loose hanging wires are a common sight. It gives a very shabby look, besides, poses a threat to human beings. A number of fatal accidents have happened in the past and some people have died by the current in the wires especially during monsoon, but the authorities concerned seem least affected by all this, and were waiting for a big tragedy to take place”, said Nimisha Mehta, a college student, who is a daily commuter on the road.

Meanwhile, Jaspal Singh, Additional Superintendent Engineer PSPCL, said, they have already taken out an estimate to set these dangling wires right, the work will begin soon.

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