Shalimar Bagh now free of overhead cables mesh

Shalimar Bagh in Delhi has become the first area to implement a 10-km underground electricity network, enhancing safety and aesthetics.

Months after the Delhi government announced shifting of overhead electricity cables underground, northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh has become the city’s first locality to lay a 10-km underground cable network, said the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL).

During an HT visit in November, the streets in the area looked clean without the dangling overhead cables. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

“The newly-laid underground network has replaced the open and tangled wires hanging overhead. Since the completion, no power-supply related complaints have been reported from the area,” a TPDDL spokesperson said.

The pilot project was launched by chief minister Rekha Gupta in July at a cost of ₹8 crore.

Gupta had said: “The government has allocated ₹100 crore for undergrounding of Delhi’s overhead wires in a phased manner, beginning with Shalimar Bagh. The new system will make power supply more reliable, safe, and efficient. The current open and tangled wires affect both the city’s beauty and public safety.”

The Shalimar Bagh project, which was commissioned the same month and completed in October, marks the first large-scale replacement of decades-old overhead wires with an underground cable network in the capital.

Sood added: “This project shows our vision for Delhi. The streets will be cleaner. There will be no clutter of overhead wires. We are not only shifting cables underground but also incorporating new technology. This is a step towards a future-ready Delhi, with expansion of this pilot project to other parts of the city as well.”

TPDDL officials said the overhaul was carried out across Janta Flats in Block BH, where the power network was nearly five decades old. Developed in the 1980s, the cluster had a dense mesh of dangling wires, makeshift junctions and unprotected circuits.

An added advantage of the shift has been the removal of illegal broadband and cable TV wires, which were tied to electricity poles. “With the switch to underground supply, the network is now free of such encroachments and the aesthetic profile of the area has improved,” an official said.

File photo of when the area was filled with a web of overhead wires. (HT)

During HT’s visit to the area on November 19, the streets looked cleaner, with only patchwork on the roads left, which had briefly been halted due to the MCD bypolls in 12 wards, including Shalimar Bagh. Residents said the streets felt much wider.

“Now, no poles are visible. The maze of wires has been meticulously shifted,” said 60-year-old Prikshit Raj Kapil, a local resident.

Asha Arora (57), another local, said more streets in the city needed similar revamps. “Our old electricity metre was upgraded to a smart metre for free. People in the block are much happier as the space outside their balconies is now free of clutter,” she said.

A senior TPDDL official told HT that high-risk spots were prioritised first. “The meters were old and many circuits were exposed. We repaired common areas, painted them and then carried out a proper reinstallation. Around 700 outdated meter boxes were replaced with smart meters.”

As part of the upgrade, 24 new feeder pillars — a robust, weatherproof power distribution box — and 41 Galvanized Iron (GI)octagonal street-light poles were installed. Officials said each low-tension feeder pillar now carries a secondary backup power source, ensuring uninterrupted electricity even during maintenance work — a feature not possible earlier. Common metering rooms at staircases, which were earlier dotted with exposed wiring, were repaired and meters reinstalled with new cabling to reduce safety hazards.

According to officials, the work on the 40-year-old network involved close coordination with other agencies, including Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and overseeing sewer lines. Engineers said that in some stretches, excavation required route-tracing machines to identify underground assets before the digging could begin. A full Geographic Information System (GIS) update of the network was also completed.