Exposed power cables along the footpath near Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine on Paper Mills Road in Perambur, Chennai, have raised safety concerns among pedestrians and residents ahead of the monsoon, with Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) officials saying the cables will be laid underground by the night of September 29.
The footpath is used by children, senior citizens and other pedestrians, while customers visiting a nearby ice cream shop are also required to cross the cables to reach the premises. Residents said damaged cables could create a risk of accidents or electrical leakage, particularly if they remain exposed during wet weather.
Stormwater drain works are currently under way on Paper Mills Road. According to residents, the power cables were removed during the work carried out by the Greater Chennai Corporation and left exposed along the footpath and roadside. They said that even in stretches where the drain work has been completed, the cables have not been properly placed underground.
The condition has created an overlap between two essential urban systems: stormwater drainage and electricity distribution. Work on one service has left another temporarily exposed in a pedestrian area, raising questions about how utility relocation and road restoration are coordinated during civic infrastructure projects.
Shopkeeper Saravanan said customers had to cross the exposed cables to enter nearby shops. He alleged that similar cables were sometimes temporarily repaired with insulating tape after being damaged and said repeated complaints to the authorities had not resulted in action so far.
Resident Srinivasan said the cables could become a safety hazard during the monsoon. He said electrical leakage could affect pedestrians and customers visiting shops in the area if the cables were damaged or came into contact with water.
The concern comes as Chennai prepares for monsoon conditions, when footpaths and roadside areas can become waterlogged during rainfall. Exposed electrical infrastructure in such locations can make pedestrian movement more difficult and increase the consequences of any damage to the cables, residents said.
TNPDCL officials said the cables had been removed when the Greater Chennai Corporation carried out works on Paper Mills Road. They acknowledged that the cables were exposed at some locations after the works were completed and said they would be properly laid underground by the night of September 29.
