VIJAYAWADA: With the monsoon season at its peak, the city is still plagued by the menace of cable wires hanging dangerously low above roads posing a serious threat to residents across the city. Apparently Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), the agency responsible for taking action, has turned a blind eye and failed to act tough against errant agencies.
On visiting busy junctions in the city like One Town, Kothapet, Besant Road and Auto Nagar area, one can spot electric wires hanging loose. Many times, incidents of electrocution in which people have sustained serious injuries have been reported. With poor maintenance, plants have grown around the transformers at several places.
“It seems the authorities are waiting for a disaster to take place to act against errant agencies. The over head cables can ensnare a rider any time.” alleged K Satya Prakash, a shopkeeper in One Town.
People are miffed with the civic body’s apathy. “With the cable menace, even rescue activities are at stake as the Fire and Rescue Department face difficulty in reaching the spot when there is a fire accident,” said taxpayers association general secretary MV Anjaneyulu. He further added that loose wires are a major problem on roads, especially in parks where children play and open boxes and exposed wires remain unattended.
“Dangling cables often hamper the movement of fire engines delaying rescue operations. Due to the lethargic attitude of the civic body, sometimes we reach the accident spot late. They will realise the gravity of the situation only when there is a major mishap,” said District fire safety officer Niranjan Reddy. Though the rule stipulates that wires should be 10 metres above roads and vehicles, the present scenario tells a different picture. He further suggested that the civic body officials should remove the hanging cables at the earliest to avoid mishaps in the ongoing monsoon.
“The town planning department are busy in identifying old and illegal structures across the city. A meeting will be convened with the APTRANSCO, telecom companies, cable operators and internet service providers and a deadline will be fixed to remove the low lying cables,” said a senior VMC official in town planning department on condition of anonymity.