Pune Municipal Corporation’s standing committee has approved a ₹2.59 crore project to shift overhead electricity lines underground along the Katraj-Kondhwa road, a move intended to support road widening and address safety concerns on the corridor. The work is scheduled to be completed within nine months.
The undergrounding will cover the stretch from Abhay Aranya Society to Lane No. 1 in Shivshambho Nagar. Mahavitaran’s high-tension and low-tension electricity lines currently run overhead on poles through the area, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The civic body’s electrical department had sought an estimate from Mahavitaran for relocating the lines. An estimate of ₹2.95 crore, including Goods and Services Tax, was prepared before the tender process. Eight bids were received, of which seven bidders were found eligible.
The standing committee has recommended accepting the bid submitted by Shewale Electricals. The accepted tender is valued at ₹2,59,75,843, including GST. The approved work will include 22-kilovolt high-tension underground cables, low-tension cables, a ring main unit system, feeder pillars, protective pipes and earthing arrangements.
Existing electricity poles along the relevant section will also be removed after the underground system is installed. The project forms part of the infrastructure work linked to the widening of the Katraj-Kondhwa road. The administration has said that shifting the lines underground will help advance the widening work and reduce the risks associated with overhead electrical infrastructure.
The same standing committee meeting also approved other electrical and civic-service contracts. Additional closed-circuit television cameras, along with electrical and network systems, will be installed in municipal schools under a project estimated at ₹1,99,55,637. The work has been assigned to iSecure IT Private Limited and is to be completed within eight months.
A separate tender worth ₹99,72,448 was approved for supplying liquefied petroleum gas cylinders for gas cremators at seven crematoriums in civic ward circles four and five for the next year. Payments will be made at the applicable rate during the month of supply because LPG prices change in accordance with central government decisions.
The committee also discussed improvements at Vaikunth Crematorium, where pressure on funeral facilities has increased. A detailed project report has been prepared for repairs to sheds, concreting where required, improvements to toilets and upgrades to water-supply facilities. Standing committee chairperson Shrinath Bhimale said the tender for these works would be issued shortly.
