Illegal Construction Under High-Tension Lines Risks Lives In Jabalpur

Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): The state-owned MP Power Transmission Company (MP Transco) plans to seek help from the district administration to launch a campaign to remove buildings constructed close to or directly under high-tension power lines in the city. Such constructions are illegal and pose a severe threat to the safety of residents and the power transmission system.

Illegal constructions have been found across various areas including Polipather, New Shastri Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Dhanvantari Nagar, Jasuja City, Karmeta, Shankar Nagar, Adhartal, Kanchanpur, and Ghamapur. Despite repeated warnings and awareness efforts by Transco officials, including personal visits by engineers and employees to explain the dangers, construction continues.

Outsourced Staff On Strike At Government Hospital Over Unpaid Wages In Jabalpur

MP Transco’s chief engineer, Sandeep Gaikwad, said multiple notices were issued in 2022, 2023, October 2024, and recently, but these have failed to deter builders. Over the past three years, the company has issued more than 600 notices against illegal constructions, but effective action is yet to be taken.

Sources revealed that plots beneath high-tension lines are often sold with false assurances that the power lines will be shifted or decommissioned soon. In places like Dhanvantari Nagar, buyers were misled by such promises and face significant losses once they discover the truth—often too late to recover their money.

Illegal construction in these restricted zones has already caused several accidents, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated action.