Panchkula: Residents fear loose wires

PANCHKULA: With a large number of electricity meters installed on a single electricity pole in various sectors of Panchkula, the issue has caused fear among the residents.
The resident welfare association (RWA) members have also prepared a list of electricity poles with loose wires and numbers of meters installed on a single pole to the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Committee (HERC).

One of the electricity pole in Sector 15 has 17 meters installed on a single pole.

Residents have alleged that high voltage electricity wires are hanging loose and pose a threat to them. RWA members have also said that they fear for children's safety when they are playing outside as they might touch the wires.

They allege that wires coming out from the meters can fall anytime on the road or on the walls of the houses nearby. Davinder Jindal, a businessman and a resident of Sector 6, said, "I can touch the electricity wires in front of my house and it is just two-feet high from my car's roof. I fear as it poses a threat. Sending our children out of our home is also dangerous due to these loose high voltage electricity wires."

Surender Singh, a resident of Sector 4, said, "Despite complaints made to Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), concerned officials are not addressing the problem. The issue needs to be addressed immediately as it poses serious threat to those living nearby."

S K Nayar, RWA president, Panchkula, said that the matter regarding excess electricity meters installed outside the houses was raised in the state level advisory committee meeting on December 20, 2018, by the special advisory committee member of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Committee under the chairmanship of Jagjit Singh.

Naya said, "This is a very serious issue and can be easily fixed but concerned officials are not ready to take any action despite many complaints being made to them. They must show their seriousness towards citizen's problems." "The cost of burnt/defective meters installed on the poles cost should be bear by Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and not by the residents," he added.