Mahavitaran alleges NHAI contractor cut underground cables thrice in a fortnight near Wakad

Pune: Work to widen the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway between Wakad bridge and Chandni Chowk is under way. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (Mahavitaran) has alleged that underground power lines were damaged three times in about a fortnight during this work. The allegation is against a contractor of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). About 40,000 consumers lost power as a result. Mahavitaran says the contractor continued the work despite repeated warnings, and the company has also approached the police.

The cables were cut on October 16, 17 and 31. On October 16, a 22 kV cable supplying the Beverly feeder was cut during the highway work. The next day, another 22 kV cable, of the Nia feeder, was cut near Bitwise Chowk. The third incident was recorded on October 31. Mahavitaran alleges that three cable cuts thus occurred within a fortnight.

Mahavitaran officials in the Aundh division said on Sunday that, when starting service road work near Chandni Chowk, the contractor did not check whether the underground cables were safe and did not shift them. An official said: "Underground cables were cut three times in a fortnight during construction. Despite repeated requests to stop work until the cables were shifted safely, the contractor continued. Finally we went to the police and gave a written complaint on October 27."

Mahavitaran filed a written complaint against the contractor at Bavdhan police station on October 27. The company estimates that cable repairs and restoration of supply have cost it losses of lakhs of rupees.

The stretch has several 22 kV high-tension and low-tension underground lines. Mahavitaran officials warned that if road work proceeds without planning, these cables could be buried under concrete or end up in the middle of the widened road. If such a cable develops a fault later, it would be hard to trace and repair, and parts of the concrete road would have to be dug up. That could delay restoration of supply, and a large number of consumers in Aundh, Baner and Mahalunge could lose power.

Mahavitaran has also pointed to a lack of permissions. Officials said underground cables should be shifted only after Mahavitaran prepares an estimate and the prescribed approval process is completed. Senior Mahavitaran officials said NHAI has taken Mahavitaran's permission for work within Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation limits, but no such permission was taken for work within Pune Municipal Corporation limits. Mahavitaran says the permission position is therefore different in the two jurisdictions.