500 houses built under high-tension tower cable lines in Padegaon

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) and the Police administrations have initiated a road-widening campaign for the 8.5 km stretch from Padegaon to Mitmita. On Thursday, they began demolishing properties that obstruct the widening work. During this operation, it came to light that around 500 houses are built directly beneath high-voltage 220 kV and 132 kV power cable lines. The municipal team faced several challenges while taking action against these properties.

Despite the serious danger posed to thousands of residents living under these 220 and 132 kVA high-voltage transmission lines, known as incoming and outgoing lines of MSETCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited), people continue to live there. Forty years ago, when the MSETCL company laid these lines for the old Maharashtra State Electricity Board, there were no houses beneath them. Today, around 500 houses have been constructed directly below them. Buildings including schools, marriage halls, hotels, and apartments have also sprung up under the high-voltage lines that carry up to 150,000 kVA of electricity. From the Mumbai-Nashik Highway and up to 1 to 1.5 km inward, these towers have homes built directly beneath them. Earlier, the land up to Tisgaon was empty farmland; it has now turned into a concrete jungle.

Gross negligence by the CSMC

While unauthorised settlements have flourished under these high-voltage towers for the past 40 years, the municipal corporation has shown gross negligence. In Padegaon, there are gunthewari settlements, a few societies, apartments, and commercial buildings. A key question arises: who granted permission for construction beneath the towers? In 1985, MSEDCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd) built a substation. At that time, farmers whose lands were used for the towers had no permission to build homes. Power from that substation was distributed to Chikalthana, Harsul, Satara, and Waluj via 132 kVA lines. These in turn supplied 23 sub-centers with 33 kVA power, and then 11 kVA power to residential areas.

Repeated notices served

Mahatransco has repeatedly issued notices to around 500 residents. Despite public announcements (through ‘dawandi’), people have not vacated their homes, said the executive engineer (MSETCL) Yogesh Deshpande.