Pashan’s Vitthalnagar area is practically a death trap during the monsoon. The slum has modified one-storeyed houses built close to each other with shared electric poles in between. The residents get worried every time during the monsoon season as live electrical wires hang dangerously low in the area. The wires are twisted around the poles and crisscross their homes which is a cause for worry for most residents.
During heavy rainfall, which is generally accompanied with thunder and lightning, these live wires come close to their windows and doors due to strong gusts of wind. Bharat Shinde, a resident of Vitthalnagar, said, “We have been living in this area for more than 20 years and every year before monsoon we approach the MSEDCL officials to help solve our problem. With every house adding a floor, the height of the electrical poles are low with dangerous live electric wires, I live near one and fear that I might get electrocuted someday.”
However, GP Waghmare, MSEDCL assistant engineer, said, “This is not new, it is a regular problem. We had undertaken a survey for putting underground cables, but how does one do that in a slum where there is hardly any space to walk or stand. The houses are built close to each other and there is no space to place the new electricity boxes in the slum. We have asked for their cooperation several times but no one wants to help in getting safer underground electricity cables. We cannot move the electricity poles and the wires cannot be touched with so many houses built around it without leaving an inch for work to be done.”
Mahesh Dhotre, another resident, added, “With heavy rains and wind, sometimes the wires create sparks which are very close to our homes. We worry about being caught between them. We have spoken to the MSEDCL to help us, but no one pays us any heed.”
{{/usCountry}}Mahesh Dhotre, another resident, added, “With heavy rains and wind, sometimes the wires create sparks which are very close to our homes. We worry about being caught between them. We have spoken to the MSEDCL to help us, but no one pays us any heed.”
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