A temporary EB cable laid outside homes on MKB Nagar 15th Central Cross Street in Chennai has remained in place for two weeks after a power disruption, raising safety concerns among residents and obstructing access to their houses.
Residents said the exposed cable is located along the street where children regularly play and move between homes and a nearby park. They have asked officials to complete the pending repair, remove the temporary arrangement and restore the power connection safely.
The temporary cables were installed to supply electricity to houses after a fault disrupted power in the area two weeks ago. Residents said the arrangement, which was expected to be short-term, has continued without the underlying issue being resolved.
Metila, a resident, said officials had told residents that the power problem would be rectified soon and that the temporary cables would then be removed. “However, no work has been carried out so far,” she said, according to DT Next.
She said residents have to drive over the cables every morning to take their vehicles out of their homes. The cables have also made it difficult for them to clean their entrances. Their placement outside the houses has increased concerns about children coming into contact with them while playing on the street.
Aruljothi, a student of social work who lives in the area, said the temporary connection had initially helped residents during the power disruption but that leaving the cables in place for two weeks had created a serious safety concern. She said children pass through the street in the mornings and evenings and also visit the nearby park, increasing the possibility of an accident.
The issue has also affected routine movement and maintenance for households on the street. Residents said the cable arrangement interferes with vehicle access and cleaning work at the entrances of their homes, apart from the safety concerns created by cables lying in a public residential passage.
A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited acknowledged the problem. The official said the fault in the cable would be rectified soon and that the exposed electrical cables would be removed after the repair. Until then, the official said, the cables had been laid temporarily.
The official response did not specify when the repair would be completed or when the cables would be removed from the street. Residents are awaiting the promised rectification and the restoration of a safer, permanent electricity connection.
