Wakad residents hit by frequent power cuts
The residents of Wakad housing societies recently faced 11 hours power cut, affecting several examinations, online seminars, office related work of the IT Professionals working from home.
Kalyani Nikumbh
For the past many years, the residents of Wakad are being hit by frequent power cuts as the work for smart city is speeding up. But the careless working of the contractors is affecting the residents more as often the electricity cables are being affected due to improper planning.
Society residents are facing frequent power outage but despite raising the issue with the senior authorities in MSEDCL, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, contractors there has been no solution. The residents have alleged that the previous duct was broken and is replaced by poor plastic duct and left open risking the people.
Road works are currently underway under smart city at Datta mandir road, Wakad. Most of the people are working from home, schools and colleges are closed due to Covid19 pandemic and online classes have resumed too. Students are suffering due to power cut as they can’t charge their mobile or laptop. Also, high rise towers require elevators to reach to the respective floors. And due to such frequent power cut, generator has to be used frequently. As a result, the additional cost of thousands of rupees has to pay to fill the generator by using diesel.
Societies like Shonest tower, Skyline, Horizon, Ganesh Imperia, Platinum Society, Chaudhary Park, are affected the most.
“The power outage has been going on for last three months. For office work, online schools, exams, and tutors are in need of electricity and internet connection. But because of this frequent outage for long hours everything is jammed. Last month due to power cut my daughter could not attend an online exam. Student’s career is at great risk due to the negligence and carelessness of this officials. When builder handed us this society, we were having cement duct for the cables. But the contractor broke that duct we faced power outage for long and as a temporary solution they fixed a plastic duct and cemented everything. Ducts are opened at many places too,” said Tejaswini Sawai, resident of Shonest Tower and president of Pimpri Chinchwad Housing Federation (PCHF).
“Shonest tower society has supply from skyline feeder. While working in this area for roads, contractor broke the cable which we repaired. After one-hour same cable was broken at different place by the same contractor. Contractor works without any pre-intimation. So, citizens and MSEDCL are constantly troubled. Corporation should make provision for different lane while working for roads,” said P R Balgude, Additional Executive Engineer, MSEDCL.
“These un-repaired cables and different footpaths are causing problem. Such incidents happens while the development work is on. We shall be more cautious in the future. And new separate ducts will be created for all cables,’ assured Rahul Kalate, Wakad Corporator.
