1,934 Illegal Structures Under EHT Transmission Lines In Malwa-Nimar, Action Stalled

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A major public safety drive to remove illegal constructions beneath Extra High Tension (EHT) power transmission lines in Indore and western Madhya Pradesh has stalled, with the Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Company (MP Transco) blaming poor coordination among government agencies for delaying action.

Senior MP Transco officials said 1,934 illegal structures have been identified within mandatory safety corridors of high-voltage transmission lines, including 1,031 in Indore and 903 across the Malwa-Nimar region.

Although notices have been served to occupants, most structures remain in place, posing serious risks to life, property and uninterrupted power transmission.

Officials said repeated requests for enforcement support have been sent to the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Indore Development Authority (IDA), Town and Country Planning Department and the district administration. While the IMC and district administration extended limited support last year, the drive could not continue because of poor inter-departmental coordination.

MP Transco has also conducted awareness campaigns through mobile publicity vehicles, public announcements, warning notices, direct outreach programmes and safety messages at public places. However, voluntary compliance has remained limited, making administrative support essential.

Under safety norms, a 27-metre corridor on either side of a 132 kV transmission line and a 35-metre corridor for a 220 kV line must remain free of construction. Officials said houses, shops and other buildings have been erected in violation of these mandatory clearances.

Power sector experts warned that transmission lines carry electricity at voltages hundreds of times higher than domestic supply, making such encroachments a serious public safety hazard.

Additional municipal commissioner Abhay Rajangaonkar said the IMC regularly demolishes illegal structures after receiving information about them.

State energy minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar appealed to citizens not to undertake construction within designated transmission corridors and urged all departments and local authorities to work together to remove hazardous encroachments before they lead to a major accident.

Illegal structures rise

Illegal structures in Indore's restricted EHT safety corridors have increased from nearly 900 in July last year to 1,031 this year, an increase of 131.

Worst-hit areas

The worst-affected localities are Musakhedi, Azad Nagar, Khajrana, Samvida Nagar, Vaibhav Nagar, Banganga, Idrish Nagar, Veena Nagar, Gauri Nagar and Krishna Vihar Colony, where residential and commercial buildings have come up dangerously close to high-voltage transmission lines.