E-Paper
Power supply disruptions amid PMC’s Ganeshkhind Road-widening work for metro line 3
The ongoing road-widening work in Pune has led to 36 underground electrical cables being severed, affecting power supply to 19,000 consumers. The lack of coordination between agencies is blamed. Efforts are being made to repair the damage and provide alternative power supply, but the continuous damage poses a threat to future power stability in the affected areas. Residents are frustrated by the frequent power cuts and are calling for immediate action to prevent further disruptions. The Pune Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited are pointing fingers at each other.
According to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) or Mahavitaran, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC’s) ongoing Ganeshkhind Road-widening work pertaining to the metro line 3 and flyover construction has (inadvertently) severed as many as 36 underground electrical cables and hampered the power supply of nearly 19,000 consumers residing in Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Shivajinagar, and Ganeshkhind. According to the local residents however, the problem stems from the lack of coordination between these agencies.
Nishikant Raut, public relations officer (PRO) of MSEDCL Pune Circle, said, “Engineers and employees at Mahavitaran are toiling round-the-clock to repair the power lines damaged by the ongoing excavation and ensure alternative power supply. However, the continuous damage inflicted on the weakened power lines buried beneath the road poses a significant threat to the future stability of power supply in the Ganeshkhind, Shivajinagar, Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth and Lakshmi Road areas. The necessity to relocate the feeder pillars of the ground power system during the road widening, without effectively accounting for the underground channels, has resulted in this persistent issue. Immediate measures must be taken to prevent further disruption of power supply to ease the hardships faced by the affected consumers and Mahavitaran alike.”
The areas affected by power outage/s include Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Lakshmi Road, Model Colony, Range Hills Road, ICS Colony, Bhosalenagar, Ashoknagar, Sakhar Sankul, Wakdewadi, FC Road, Ganeshkhind Road, Shivajinagar Railway Station Area, Simla Office and the stretch from Sancheti Hospital to Vidyapeeth Road.
Dipti Shelar, a resident of the Chaturshrungi area, said, “This is a very annoying situation. There are power cuts at any time and they last for two to three hours. When we call the MSEDCL complaints’ centre, they assure us that the power will be restored in a few minutes however that never happens.”
Pooja Bobade, a resident of Khairewadi area, said, “MSEDCL officials are blaming the PMC for the power cuts. But I don’t understand why both agencies can’t work together. They should help each other instead of pointing fingers.”
Raut said, “Despite Mahavitaran’s appeal to relocate the underground power lines before the road widening work began, the construction has largely encroached upon the existing network, causing recurring damage. This relentless excavation has not only led to daily disruptions in the power supply but has also intensified the challenge of repairing the buried power lines due to the persistent traffic flow. Furthermore, the absence of an alternative power supply arrangement exacerbates the situation, leading to prolonged power outages lasting for several hours.”
Dinkar Gojare, executive engineer of the PMC road department, said, “MSEDCL cables are not laid deep. Besides that, MSEDCL officials are not present during the excavation work. The contractor doesn’t know the exact location of the underground cables. Therefore, cables are damaged. If MSEDCL officials coordinate with us, we can avoid such incidents. We have already requested the MSEDCL to depute its officials to help us.”
On the other hand, Sachin Bhagwat Patil, additional executive engineer of the Ganeshkhind sub-division, said, “Electrical cables are damaged due to the excavation work by the PMC during the road widening. In the last two weeks, there have been a number of incidents of damage to the cables. Now, we are guiding PMC officials to locate the underground cables and the incidents of damage are coming down to one or two…”
