Cable clutter unleashes chaos on city streets, raises risk of fires, accidents

Lucknow: From the narrow lanes of the old city to busy commercial stretches, webs of hanging electric wires and internet cables on electricity poles across the city pose a risk of fire due to short circuits, revealed a TOI reality check.The problem is most visible in areas such as Chowk, Aminabad, Yahiyaganj, Latouche Road and several other busy markets and parts of old Lucknow, where multiple service providers have installed overlapping cables on ageing poles.In several stretches, wires hang so low that pedestrians are forced to duck, while goods carriers and construction vehicles often come to a halt.In summer, these webs are more prone to fire incidents in busy markets.“It’s a mess. Wires hang loosely from every pole and sometimes spark during strong winds. Complaints don’t lead anywhere,” said Arif Khan, a trader in the medicine market in Aminabad, pointing to a lack of coordination between departments.Another trader, Shivnaresh in Chowk, said, “Though the electricity department has installed braided wires at many places, many electric cables are still hanging low.”Even in relatively developed localities like Gomti Nagar and Aliganj, residents report cluttered poles with bundled telecom and broadband lines, affecting both safety and the city’s appearance.Ongoing construction work around the city, including road widening, flyover construction and metro-related activity, has worsened the situation. Movement of heavy machinery through narrow roads frequently leads to cables being cut or damaged, leaving live wires dangling.Arham Khan, an electrical engineer at a private company, highlighted that although wires nowadays come with insulation and fire-resistant material, they can easily catch fire when tangled together because of atmospheric heat.Officials in the power department said shifting overhead lines underground is underway, which will reduce such incidents. “The process of laying underground wiring has started at many places in the city. Work on major stretches has begun, and documentation for other stretches is in progress,” an official said.