Ganjbasoda (Madhya Pradesh): Approximately 20% of the unplanned power outages you experience in Ganjbasoda town are caused by trees growing too close to power supply lines. In high winds during the rainy season, trees and their branches can fall onto power lines, causing the lines to short-circuit, and can also cause significant damage to our electrical equipment, resulting in power cuts.
The power distribution company is, however, neither paying attention on the work of removing the power lines passing from the middle of the trees in busiest areas of city including Tyonda Road, Bareth Road, Savarkar Road, Tiranga Chowk and many other places nor the work of trimming tree branches, due to which a serious accident can happen anytime.
Trees growing through, or close to, power lines are dangerous because they create a potential path for electricity to travel to the ground. People that come into contact with this path (by touching, climbing, trimming or cutting down the trees) put themselves at serious risk of being electrocuted or receiving significant electrical burns. Trees near power lines are also a serious fire risk in dry weather conditions as leaves or branches touching lines can catch fire.
Every year before the onset of monsoon season, electricity supply line maintenance work is done by the power distribution company, but it is done only for the sake of paperwork.
Local residents don’t have courage to trim the branches of such roadside old trees by themselves due to the fear of facing action by the officials of district administration.
