Pune: Underground Power Lines Damaged During Road Widening Cause Widespread Disruptions
Pune, 27th October 2023: Amid road widening work for the metro and flyover projects in the Ganeshkhind and Shivajinagar areas, a concerning issue has emerged. Over the past 20 days, the excavation work, conducted with the aid of JCB machinery, has inadvertently severed a total of 36 underground power lines owned by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) the local power distribution company. This has resulted in considerable inconvenience for approximately 19,000 electricity consumers residing in areas such as Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Shivajinagar, and Ganeshkhind.
The interruptions in the power supply have led to significant challenges, with MSEDCL facing a financial loss of approximately 17 lakh 16 thousand rupees in electricity sales. Meanwhile, aggrieved electricity consumers are experiencing the repercussions of these disruptions.
The affected areas span Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, Lakshmi Road, Model Colony, Range Hills Road, ICS Colony, Bhosale Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Sakhar Sankul, Wakdewadi, FC Road, Ganeshkhind Road, Shivaji Nagar Railway Station area, Shimla Office, Hardikar Hospital, Akashvani, and Kasarwadi. These regions are supplied electricity via underground power lines stretching from Sancheti Hospital to University Road, serving around 19 thousand customers.
Despite MSEDCL’s prior requests to relocate these underground power lines in preparation for the road widening, the ongoing construction activities have been carried out directly above these lines. This disregard for relocation requests has led to recurrent damages to the power lines during excavation, causing extensive disruptions to the power supply.
Of particular concern is the growing difficulty of repairing these damaged power lines, as they are buried beneath the road’s surface. Owing to the continuous flow of traffic and the challenges associated with providing alternative power supply, the resolution of these issues is expected to be protracted. Consequently, this situation adversely affects not only electricity consumers but also MSEDCL itself.
The road widening efforts have thus far focused solely on the relocation of the ground power system’s feeder pillar, while the excavation work proceeds with the underground channels remaining in place. These damaged channels are being temporarily connected, forcing them to withstand the pressure from the road’s construction machinery. This persistent strain on the power lines beneath the road’s surface poses a significant threat to the stability of power supply in the Ganeshkhind, Shivaji Nagar, Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth, and Lakshmi Road areas.
To address these issues, engineers and employees of MSEDCL have been working around the clock to repair the damaged power lines and ensure alternative power supply when needed. However, the continued disruptions in power supply are causing delays and inconveniences, with certain areas experiencing interruptions lasting for two to three hours.
