PMC warns Ganesh mandals against illegal power tapping
There are nearly 4,000 public Ganesh mandals in the city and suburbs. Besides there are many housing societies setting up their own pandals while 500 have taken necessary permission till date
The electricity department of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has appealed to Ganesh mandals to obtain temporary power connections from Maharashtra State Energy Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) rather than obtaining illegal connections from streetlight poles, junction boxes and feeders.
There are nearly 4,000 public Ganesh mandals in the city and suburbs. Besides there are many housing societies setting up their own pandals while 500 have taken necessary permission till date.
Mandals will be charged a concessional tariff and surprise checks will be conducted to ensure compliance with rules. MSEDCL will also set up a dedicated helpline number for assistance during the festival, said officials.
Manisha Shekatkar, superintending engineer, PMC electricity department, said, “We will disconnect the power supply of the mandals illegally tapping electricity from the street light poles. Taking power supply from the poles can be dangerous and cause fatalities.”
The electrical department has carried out a survey of all the streetlights to ensure smooth functioning during the ten-day festival.
Civic officials also pointed out safety and security measures to be undertaken by the contractors engaged in making electricity-related provisions at 288 points along the Ganesh Visarjan route.
During 2023, the MSEDCL vigilance and flying squad detected that 3,800 mandals used unauthorised power supplies and only around 375 mandals obtained temporary electricity connections from the MSEDCL.