Civic Apathy Leaves Electric Posts in Middle of Roads, Accidents Mount

Time of India

20 hours ago

Nagpur: Despite years of public outcry, road accidents, and even strictures from the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court, hundreds of electric poles still stand dangerously in the middle of roads across the city.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), in its 2025-26 budget, finally earmarked Rs25 crore for resolving this long-standing issue. However, proposals worth only Rs22.5 crore are under process and tenders for just two of the eight locations are ready to be issued. The lackadaisical attitude puts question marks on the administration's commitment to citizen safety.
The root of the crisis lies in decades of poor coordination between different agencies.
Roads under the Integrated Road Development Programme (IRDP) were laid without shifting electric poles, leaving them directly in the path of vehicles.
Cement roads built by the state Public Works Department (PWD) and even NMC hired contractors followed the same flawed pattern. Civil Lines, Telangkhedi, and stretches from Zingabai Takli to Godhani are glaring examples of such criminal oversight, where motorists dodge past danger posed by poles standing bang in the middle of roads.
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Now, amid mounting pressure, a joint survey by NMC's electrical department and MSEDCL (
Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited
) has been ordered to identify all such poles. The plan includes converting overhead conductors to underground cabling and shifting LT (low-tension) consumer cables to the road sides. The HT (high-tension) cables too will be laid underground in areas where possible.
Yet, the urgency the issue demands seems to be missing. Even after the high court took suo motu cognizance in Jan 2021 and asked NMC and MSEDCL to submit a detailed report on such poles, progress remained painfully slow.
The court, alarmed by the fatal consequences of this negligence, ordered immediate steps for shifting these poles and warned against bureaucratic lethargy. However, several projects moved ahead without addressing the obstruction, exposing citizens to continuous risk.
"There is no dearth of funds, just a lack of accountability," says a senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We have had budgetary allocations for years, but unless there is real coordination between the electrical and civil wings, accidents will keep happening."
Indeed, many of these poles, especially those on newly concretised roads, have turned into permanent hazards. Locals from Godhani Road say they've lost count of the number of two-wheeler crashes in the past two years. "We've even put reflectors on some poles," said Vijendra Kale, a resident of Suman Nagari, "but nothing moves unless there's a court rap."
While tenders for eight locations have been processed, only two are on the cusp of being floated — a worrying sign considering the city has over 500 such poles, according to unofficial estimates.
With the civic elections around the corner and political heat rising, citizens are demanding immediate on-ground action. "We are tired of announcements. Just remove the poles before another life is lost," said locals.