Garbage near transformers at several locations in Hyderabad is raising fire safety concerns after two incidents in Bholakpur division damaged electrical wires and caused losses of more than ₹2 lakh, according to electricity officials cited in a report by Deccan Chronicle – Hyderabad.
A ground-level visit to West Marredpally, Zamistanpur and Noorkhan Bazaar found plastic and other waste accumulating close to transformers. In West Marredpally, a transformer was located beside a dumping spot without a warning signboard. In Zamistanpur, sanitation workers were clearing a waste pile near a transformer.
Residents and sanitation workers said unauthorised dumping continued despite repeated warnings and daily door-to-door collection through Swachh Auto vehicles. The dumping sites are being used as convenient collection points, creating risks for electrical infrastructure as well as workers and vehicle operators involved in removing the waste.
The concerns follow two fires reported in the Bholakpur division. On April 15, a garbage heap beside the BSNL telephone exchange office caught fire, damaging transformer wires and causing losses of about ₹1 lakh. Another fire broke out behind the Setwin building in Indiranagar on October 12, causing further damage to wires and losses exceeding ₹1 lakh, according to electricity officials.
An electricity department official said preventing garbage accumulation around transformers was the responsibility of civic authorities. A municipal sanitation official acknowledged that such locations remained vulnerable despite daily clearance and urged residents to hand over household waste directly to Swachh Auto operators.
The incident highlights a coordination gap between waste collection and electrical safety. While waste may be removed after it accumulates, fresh dumping can continue when vulnerable locations are not monitored, marked or protected. Residents said clearance alone would not address the problem without inspections, warning boards and enforcement against repeat offenders.
Pendli Thirupathi of Zamistanpur suggested installing surveillance cameras at garbage-vulnerable points and imposing stricter penalties. Darsihini of West Marredpally said indiscriminate dumping endangered electrical infrastructure, sanitation workers and vehicle operators engaged in clearing the waste.
Residents have called for closer inspections and warning signage around transformers, while also urging civic and electricity authorities to work together to prevent fresh dumping. The municipal sanitation department has asked households to use Swachh Auto collection services, and the electricity department has identified civic authorities as responsible for preventing waste accumulation near transformers.
