Nine killed in electrocution incidents in Pune over past year
In the latest incident which occurred near Inamdar Chowk on June 2, an eight-year-old girl reportedly came in contact with a hoarding illegally connected to a PMC-maintained streetlight pole.
The hoarding was allegedly linked to a political party and had an unauthorised electricity connection, according to civic officials.
Manisha Shekatkar, chief, electrical department, said inspections would be completed within two days, and strict action, including disconnection and penalties, would follow in cases of violations.
'The number of illegal connections and unapproved hoardings drawing power from streetlight poles is alarming. We will not tolerate such threats to public safety,' said Shekatkar.
She said they have started checking earthing, overhead wires, illegal connections, and underground cables in the city.
'PMC has laid underground cables for most streetlight poles, but some areas, especially newly merged villages and suburbs, still have overhead wires. We are regularly working to remove such overhead cables. Now, we have also started a fresh drive to act against illegal connections on streetlight poles, loose wiring, open circuits, and underground service lines,' she said.
Civic activists and residents have consistently raised concerns about exposed wiring, broken electrical boxes, and poor maintenance by both PMC and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL).
'Overhead wires should be underground. They're prone to illegal tapping and pose serious risks. The city must release a detailed audit of all-electric poles and conduct pre-monsoon maintenance,' said Sudhir Kulkarni, civic activist.
MSEDCL officials claim regular inspections are conducted, but no official data has been released on the number of poles or overhead lines in Pune.
The recurring electrocution incidents have exposed critical gaps in coordination between civic and electricity authorities.
Citizens are now demanding urgent reforms, strict accountability, and permanent solutions to prevent such avoidable tragedies.
Dinesh Nale, a resident of Rasta Peth said, 'We are scared to even let our children play outside during rains. How many more lives will it take before the authorities wake up and fix these dangerous poles?'
One of the senior officials of MSEDCL Pune circle said, 'We conduct routine checks, especially before the monsoon. However, in some cases, the issues arise from infrastructure maintained by the civic body. We are working on improving coordination to prevent future accidents.'
Past incidents
June 2025: An eight-year-old girl died in Rasta Peth after touching a streetlight pole.
May 2025: A ten-year-old boy died in Warje after touching a live electric pole during heavy rain.
September 2024: Two men electrocuted while on a music vehicle during a procession in Wadgaonsheri.
August 2024: A schoolboy in Hadapsar and a woman near Bremen Chowk in Aundh died after stepping into electrically charged water.
July 2024: Three youths died while trying to retrieve a food cart from floodwater in the Samarth police station area.
June 2024: A housekeeping worker died after stepping on a live wire near Amar Tech Park, Balewadi.
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