DHBVN to shift high-tension power lines hanging low in residential areas

The death of a three-year-old boy, who was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire in Khandsa on the Delhi -Jaipur Expressway, has brought the menace

The death of a three-year-old boy, who was electrocuted after coming in contact with a live wire in Khandsa on the Delhi -Jaipur Expressway, has brought the menace of dangling power lines posing a grave danger to lives of residents in different residential areas into sharp focus.

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The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam’s (DHBVN) superintending engineer Joginder Singh Hooda formed six teams on Tuesday to inspect the city and submit a report within 15 days. “I have asked them to prepare a report related to tilted poles, low-hanging cables, and the misplacement of electric poles posing a danger to the lives of people,” he said.

Officials said that the state government has asked the DHBVN to shift the electric poles installed in proximity to houses. “We will shift the electric cables strung low over roofs as they have become a grave safety concern. After an inspection last week, the teams informed me that in most of the illegal colonies built across the city, people have illegally constructed rooms on the rooftop, which are posing a threat,” Hooda said.

The residents of several colonies have complained to officials about the danger posed by the high-tension wires—mainly to children who tend to go atop the terrace to play unattended.

The residents of Khandsa in Sector 37 said they submitted an application to the district authorities during the grievance redressal meetings in September and November seeking shifting of the 11KV lines passing over their houses, but no action had been taken by the department. Five deaths due to electrocution have been reported from the area within one year.

Dal Chand, a resident of Khandsa, said that he had written to the chief minister last year but did not receive any response. “The sagging power supply line strung from an electricity pole on the stretch facing Delhi-Jaipur Expressway continues to pose a threat to residents. I had requested the DHBVN staff concerned seeking the relocation of the electricity pole from our lane but the department is not paying any heed. The loosely hanging live wires could cause fire mishaps in our area in the summer, and tragic deaths in the monsoon season under the impact of strong gales,” he said.

Hooda said almost all complaints of dangling power lines and other related grievances of consumers have been addressed and the remaining ones will be addressed this month. “We will shift the high-tension lines if the requisite charges are paid by the consumers individually in the residential areas, and by the developer in the privately developed areas,” he said.

As many as 110 illegal colonies have come up in the city last year, including in New Palam Vihar, Sector 1, Bhondsi, Farrukhnagar, Manesar, Pataudi, and Sohna, without seeking mandatory permissions from the civic agencies. Besides, areas around Samaspur, Choma, Gwal Pahari, and Begumpur also have illegal constructions, officials said, adding that civic agencies need to take action against those found violating rules and regulations.

DHBVN officials will start issuing notices from next Monday to people who have illegally constructed rooms on the rooftop close to the cables. “We will send notices to individuals and to the sub-divisional magistrates to take action against them to demolish the structure as we do not have the power to do so,” Hooda said.

The teams will identify dangerous spots and crossings across the city, officials said.