Danger zone: Live electricity wires endanger citizens lives in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Power lines, mostly high tension, pass dangerously near houses in colonies such as DK Guda, Sanathnagar, KPHB Colony, LB Nagar and Kukatpally endangering the lives of residents. This is mainly due to the apathy of the HMDA, which had sold housing layouts, and the negligence of the GHMC for granting permits to buildings without checking if owners got the clearance from the electricity department.

The Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Corporation Limited (which includes Hyderabad) reported the highest number of deaths between 2013 and 14 and in the first half of 2014 and 2015. Extra high tension wires can also be seen passing through Peddaamma Temple, Hitec City, Yapral, Radhika, Chandrayangutta, Baghlingampally, Gachibowli and Mehdipatnam.

One cannot squarely blame the electricity department for this dangerous mess, as the department had installed HT wires way back in the 1990s when the land was barren or was being used for agriculture, it was only after the HMDA sold the lands as layouts that colonies mushroomed very close to the overhead danger.

By the time electricity clearance norms were finalised in 2003, scores of apartments came up and close to the power lines. Some of the houses also belonged to the AP Housing Board. One such example is at BK Guda, Sanathnagar, where even 11 KV and 33 KV HT lines are within a hand’s reach of the residents.

Meena Sharma of Mehdipatnam said, “We purchased the flat in 2000. The wires have been running parallel to our apartments. We made online and written complaints to the APCPDCL but to no effect.”

“You find cables running low and if you are riding at a higher ground you literally have to lower you head lest you get in touch with a live wire,” said Santhosh Reddy of Yapral.

At Chandrayangutta, where cases of electrocution are high, Mohd Ahmed, says, “Only when a person gets electrocuted, the department officials change the course of the wire. Should it take a person’s life for them to attend to a problem? Can’t they find a permanent solution?” he asks angrily.

The town-planning wing of the municipal corporation sings a different tune.

An official said that whenever a building permission is obtained, officials conduct inspection twice but once the builders get the permission, they deviate from the original plan.