It was a scary night for the residents of 2nd Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, near the Anantha Padmanabha Swamy temple, when during the rain, smoke, then spark and then fire erupted from one of the EB cables lying on the road. “I got chills seeing fire erupt from the cable lying right outside my apartments,” said Sekar*, a resident there.
Since the stormwater drains work has gotten underway, one can see electric cables crisscrossing over the SWD, to the apartments. The EB lines that were buried all these years are now exposed. Residents and pedestrians are forced to hop, skip and jump over them for safety. Will they go back in? With SWDs at many places at a higher level than the road, there is no scope for it to be buried. A solution projected is, covering the lines by pouring concrete over it!
The incident at Gandhi Nagar however shook the residents when they faced such EB issues not once but twice. In the first week of November they noticed smoke and fire in the EB lines and in the second week of November they faced severe power fluctuations. “In both instances, the EB responded as soon as we approached them. However, they were all quick fixes. We are looking forward to permanent solutions,” explains Sekar.
The duct tape seals over the EB wires generates doubts on the works of the EB department. A rattled Sekar pointed out the various electrocution incidents reported in the city. “St.Marks Nursery and Primary school is right around the corner, and not to mention the temple that often gets busy. With so many people and children walking around, it scares me to think who might be electrocuted next.”
Surely, the whole neighbourhood is sailing in the same boat!
* Name changed for privacy
