Electrical panels pose safety threat

GURUGRAM: Residents of Ardee City, a residential colony in Sector 52, have raised concerns over several malfunctioning electrical panels in the area. They said that during rains, these panels can explode. The residents claimed to have lodged a complaint to the discom about the issue but alleged that no action is being taken.
“We have made the discom aware of the situation. The electrical panels, which contain fuse, transfer power to our houses and they are in a poor state. Most of them are not functioning and live wires are hanging unattended. They keep catching fire. These panels can lead to accidents,” said Chaitali Mandhotra, an RWA member.
Another resident, Aanand Kumar, said, “The electricity wires from the panels are touching the groundwater and rainwater. The panels are posing a major threat to residents and children.”
A total of 2,300 families reside in Ardee city and they have asked the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to fix or replace the damaged panels. Residents on Thursday wrote a letter to DHBVN requesting immediate action.
Meanwhile, the discom claimed that these panels were supposed to be changed by the builder. However, due to the pathetic situation, the department has now decided to replace the panels. A DHBVN official said, “We took over the society last year and since then we are working on the power condition. We were not supposed to upgrade the setup. However, as the builder didn’t made the necessary changes before handing over the connections to the power discom we are making the necessary changes, but it will take time. In this society, we have to change a total of 20 electricity panels, which transmit power to individual houses. We are in the process of installing new panels in the area.”
The discom is also working towards setting up of transformers in the society after the takeover. As many as 14 transformers have been installed so far in the society. Another dozen transformers will be fixed in the area by the discom soon with a view to improve the power situation in the area, the official added.