Hanging wires put lives at risk
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, May 17
Even as the state government is claiming taking active steps to upgrade power infrastructure, hanging electric wires from the poles are posing great threat to the lives of residents here in this border township.

Residents complained that despite repeated requests, the concerned department is not taking the matter of hanging electric wires in the town area seriously and is putting them to great risk. They said that at many places in the town area, the electric wires were hanging at just six or seven feet height from the ground and could kill a person with shock.

Residents further said that the areas where the electric wires remained very close to the ground were old city, DC Colony, Jawahar Nagar , Bela Colony and Kheora.

"More than a dozen numbers of times, we urged the Superintendent Engineer and the Executive Engineer to take notice of this issue, but they failed to act. They only give assurances and are putting human lives to great risk,” fumed Rajinder Sharma, a resident of the old city area.

"We urge the state government to take the matter seriously as it involves the precious human lives. We have also decided to take up this matter with Chief Minister so that he gives strict instructions to the officers concerned. Only then they will wake up".

Another resident, Ehsan-Ul-Haq, a student living in DC Colony area said "See the electric wires here are just six to seven feet high from the ground. If at night, some tall person passes from here, he can get a shock. It is also risky during rainy season".

Repeated efforts to contact local Power development Department (PDD) officers failed since they didn't attend to the repeated calls.

However, sources in the department admitted that hanging wires were posing a great risk to human lives. However, it is learnt that the department has written to higher authorities for funds for rectifying the problem".