Hyd's crumbling power network puts lives at risk

HYDERABAD:

An ageing 11,000-volt electricity wire snapped and crashed onto a busy road in Hyderabad, spewing sparks and flames for more than half an hour.

The incident on Qazi Qayyum Road has renewed concerns over the safety of the city's deteriorating power infrastructure and claims that repeated maintenance failures are putting lives at risk.

Residents alleged that despite repeated complaints about ageing transformers and worn-out power lines, the HESCO had failed to replace or adequately repair the dangerous equipment.

They said incidents involving fallen wires, exploding transformers and hot oil spilling onto roads had become distressingly frequent in the city.

The latest incident occurred on Friday when a high-voltage wire fell beside a loader rickshaw parked near the footpath in the middle of Qazi Qayyum Road, one of Hyderabad's busiest thoroughfares. Sparks flew and flames continued to flare as the live wire lay on the road, creating panic among residents and passers-by.