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7 months on, dangling wires, a lurking threat in Ludhiana
The delay is learnt to be linked to poor bidder response, shortage of skilled manpower and disputes involving telecom and internet service providers
More than seven months after PSPCL launched its pilot project to remove dangling and low-hanging wires in Ludhiana, large parts of the city continue to remain buried under the same hazardous web of cables, raising serious questions over the pace of a project that was promised as both a public safety measure and an urban beautification exercise.
The initiative was first announced in September 2025, when the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) said all non-electric wires, dish cables, internet fibre and risky multiple joints would be removed from poles and low-hanging electric lines raised to safer heights.
However, despite the early deadline, the work has remained largely confined to one division of the city west circle, while the second division is still stuck at the tender stage.
Officials said the cost of one division alone now stands at ₹1.15 crore, reflecting both the scale of the issue and the slow expansion beyond the pilot zone.
In January this year, PSPCL approved a much larger ₹99-crore citywide plan to reorganise tangled overhead wiring across the city. The project includes around 20 tenders, ten each for Ludhiana east and west circles, and covers major industrial, commercial and old-city stretches such as Focal Point, Sunder Nagar, Chaura Bazar, Daresi, Meena Bazar, Gur Mandi, Aggar Nagar, Janta Nagar and Model Town.
Yet, nearly three months after that approval, on-ground progress remains patchy. Even after PSPCL reportedly cleared ₹23.04 crore worth of tenders, visible execution is still limited to select pockets near Fuhara Chowk and one city west unit, while most congested markets continue to face the same daily danger of low-hanging wires brushing signboards, rooftops, and even passing vehicles.
The delay is learnt to be linked to poor bidder response, shortage of skilled manpower and disputes involving telecom and internet service providers, whose cables are also tied to PSPCL poles.
Officials admitted that removing third-party cables has led to coordination issues with private operators and telecom companies, slowing the tender process in several divisions. For residents and traders in old city markets, the prolonged delay means the threat remains real.
From Chaura Bazar and Mochpura to Meena Bazar, Barsati Bazar and Gur Mandi, tangled wires continue to hang dangerously.
