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Ludhiana: Dangling electric wires pose threat to residents
On Friday, textile and hosiery material was gutted after a fire broke out at a shop in Mochpura Bazar near Subhani Building area, Ludhiana. According to shop owner Harish Madan, the fire was caused by a short circuit, which he attributes to the Punjab State Power Corporation’s failure to address the issue of dangling electric wires
With tangled and dangling power cables being spotted in various parts of the city, incidents of short circuits and fire are a daily affair. But the authorities concerned are yet to wake up from a deep slumber.
On Friday, textile and hosiery material was gutted after a fire broke out at a shop in Mochpura Bazar near Subhani Building area.
According to shop owner Harish Madan, the fire was caused by a short circuit, which he attributes to the Punjab State Power Corporation’s failure to address the issue of dangling wires. These wires have reportedly been a reason behind the increase in fire incidents caused by short circuits.
Shopkeepers of the market said the complex network of electrical wires in the area hinders the fire brigade from reaching the site at the earliest.
According to the shopkeepers, they submitted multiple complaints to the electricity department about the dangerous power cables, but in vain.
Upon being informed about the situation, the PSPCL chief engineer(Ludhiana Central Zone) PS Khamba, delegated the matter to junior officers.
Deputy chief engineer of city east circle Jagdev Singh Haans said, “The dangling wires are telephone cables, not the power cables. The firing incident occurred due to an internal circuit fault in the shop. Most of the wires along the street are internet wires and CCTV camera wires.”
In addition to PSPCL’s electricity wires and the municipal corporation’s street light cables, the city’s residential, industrial, and commercial areas are cluttered with wires from various broadband and cable TV service providers hanging from electric poles and trees.
Short circuit at 220kV tower
A few days ago, home appliances at several houses were damaged after a short circuit at the 220 kiloVolt (kV) tower on Vardhan Enclave on the Tajpur road.
The short circuit even damaged the power metres outside homes. Three previous short circuits in the city had damaged household appliances.
According to residents, despite complaints, no action has been taken to address the issue. The 220kV substation is managed by the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL).
Residents are concerned about the possibility of similar incidents in future, and feel that the authority’s inaction is putting their lives at risk.
Senior executive engineer Akhil Gupta (P & M Division) Lalton Kalan said, “An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the short circuit. We are taking steps to replace the disc insulators that contributed to the incident. Higher authorities are assessing the extent of the damage and determining the compensation that will be offered to those affected.”
