Commuters risk life and limb as poles not removed from middle of road in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Carpeting of a new road and opening it for traffic, despite many electricity poles still standing in the middle of the dual carriageway, has triggered a heated debate on social media as travelers risk life and limb. Responding to the criticism from people, the Sindh government defended its decision to complete and open the road — connecting Alamdar Chowk with the old National Highway near Qasim Chowk — saying that the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) had been showing lethargy in fulfilling its responsibility of relocating the poles after which such a decision was taken. The poles carry high-tension lines emanating from near the 132-kV grid station of Qasimabad that feeds a considerably large part of Hyderabad city. Social media users had uploaded videos of the road dotted with the poles a couple of days back with crispy comments.

CM says carriageway carpeted and opened to force Hesco into relocating transmission lines The poles existed in their place when the road was being given the first layer of carpeting. Since the two ends of the road were not blocked with barriers, vehicles started plying along it supposing that there was no risk in using it. However, the poles posed a great risk to commuters’ life. Motorists and bike-riders have to drive in a zig-zag manner to avoid hitting the poles. On Friday, the criticism forced Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to publicly explain that it was Hesco’s responsibility to relocate the poles. The power utility was provided funds for the work, but it did not carry out the work, he said while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the World Culture Festival in Karachi. The chief minister said there was a major issue of land availability for the construction of the road. The chief secretary, he said,…