In the aftermath of the electrocution deaths, the Electricity department scrambled to cut wires hastily and arbitrarily, leaving a heap strewn on the road.
| Photo Credit:
G. Ramakrishna
On Hyderabad’s streets, coils of severed black cable lie abandoned in corners and along pavements, stark reminders of a frantic drive by the electricity department to strip away dangling broadband and cable TV wires from power poles. What began as a safety measure after a spate of fatal electrocutions has now turned into a messy tussle between officials and cable operators, with no clear plan on what to do with the piles of discarded wires.
The removal drive follows a string of tragedies across the city that claimed nine lives in a week.
Five people were killed during a Krishna Janmashtami procession in Ramanthapur, two while transporting a Ganesh idol in Bandlaguda, one while erecting a pandal in Amberpet, and one while while taking down wedding decorations at a residence in Lothukunta .
Officials say that dangerously low-hanging wires, many strung haphazardly below 15 feet, were interfering with live power lines and turning into potential death traps.
But as the cutting intensified, a fresh challenge has surfaced.
“We are collecting all the wires that have been removed, but at present there is no provision for their disposal. We are awaiting further instructions,” said Subba Rao Karreddula, Divisional Engineer of Operations in Habsiguda.
For now, the cables are being hauled away and stockpiled in substations and section offices, eight of them in Habsiguda alone, with assistant engineers preserving them according to their jurisdictions.
Superintending Engineer of Operations and Maintenance, Venugopal Amarvaj, admitted that no standard protocol exists.
“As of now, these are being collected by our staff. It might eventually be handed back to the concerned cable operators, but nothing has been finalised,” he said.
The conflict, however, goes beyond disposal.
According to officials, cable operators are quick to reconnect their lines once they are cut.
“From building to building, across roads, and even over flyovers. We are forced to chop them again, which makes the whole exercise counterproductive. They argue with us on this,” said one officer, describing the work as both repetitive and contentious.
Amid the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities, with pandals being erected and processions winding through narrow streets, officials say their top priority is clearing routes and crossings of dangling cables to avert further accidents.
Assistant Engineer (Operations) of Ramanthapur, Lavanya Kuthadi, said her team is giving special attention to these stretches.
“We don’t have a standard procedure to follow. This is the first time such a large-scale removal has been attempted. It is extremely tedious, and the operators are relentless. The moment we remove the cables, they reconnect them. It will take at least another ten days to complete the work here,” she explained.
Meanwhile, a technician with a leading internet service provider (ISP) said the chopped cables are of little use. “They contain no copper or material that can be recycled, the plastic cannot be buried and the only way to dispose of it is by burning,” he explained.
He added that the tug-of-war with officials is leaving customers in the lurch.
“We reconnect the cables, they cut them again. This back-and-forth is why internet services in many parts of Hyderabad remain disrupted, and people are upset.”
A Hyderabad police official said any citizen complaint about piled-up wires would prompt action, with field visits to assess traffic and safety risks.
For now, the sight of bundled wires dumped along roadsides speaks to the uncertainty of the entire exercise: a safety measure urgently needed, but one slowed by resistance, lack of clarity, and the absence of a plan for what comes next.
Published – August 29, 2025 12:27 am IST
