For 32-year-old Sowmya Kumar, calls to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) office and Bangalore Electricity Suppply Company Limited (Bescom) become a part of her daily routine during monsoon.

A place best known for its greenery, Jayanagar, is also a place infamous for powercuts and dangerous live-wires, thanks to the electricity cables that snap often. Sowmya, a resident of Jayanagar 9th Block, explains that every time it rains heavily, power is cut since overhead electricity wires would snap with the tree branches falling over them. “Even if there are winds, the problem is the same.”

She notes that the only solution that the authorities have for the problem is cutting branches or uprooting the trees completely. “Either way, it becomes a problem. Tree-felling is not an ideal solution. If alternatives could be found for the same, it would be useful,” she opines. 

Radhe Shyam, a businessman who resides in Bhashyam Circle area, feels that taking the electricity wires under ground may be useful. 

However, if problems crop up under ground, the authorities would dig open the roads creating more problems. “There will then be yet another reason to block the roads. Already there are enough troubles because of Metro work. If we have roads with permanent utility ducts such as those being built under TenderSURE project across the City, we could hope for something better,” he adds. 

Taking electric cables under ground is the ideal option to prevent them snapping. It is also a safer alternative, feels Rajashekhar from the Kalyan Nagar Welfare Association. “In a few places, the wires are too close to the houses. It is because of a faulty building plan or because Bescom has flouted norms. These could possibly lead to accidents,” he says.  

Fool-proof technology is now available to ensure that wires are not damaged when under ground, contendsRajashekhar. “Sometimes, even high tension lines pass very close to houses. If electricity lines can be taken under ground, it will be much safe.”