This is what residents of Panchavati face daily: a chaotic, dangerous web of overhead wires | Image: puneripages.in
By Prashant for PuneriPages.in
Every time you walk through Panchavati these days, you can’t help but look up—and wince. Above your head isn’t just the sky; it’s a thick, chaotic maze of black cables looping and drooping in every direction. For locals like Mrs. Leena Deshpande, a retired schoolteacher who’s lived in the area for over 30 years, it feels like a disaster waiting to happen.
“One strong gust of wind or a heavy downpour, and something terrible could happen. These wires hang just above the heads of our children, our senior citizens. It’s terrifying,” she says.
And she’s not alone in that fear. The residents of Panchavati, one of Pune’s most cherished neighbourhoods, are increasingly vocal about a danger that’s both omnipresent and completely ignored: the deadly web of overhead wires snaking above their roads, footpaths, and doorways.
Table of Contents
The Anatomy of a Civic Failure
So what exactly are these wires? Some are active internet lines from multiple ISPs. Others belong to local cable TV operators. And then there are the unidentified ones—perhaps legacy connections, illegal installations, or just plain junk left to rot in the air.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) does have rules. Technically, most of these should be underground, especially in residential areas. But on the ground, enforcement is missing in action. The result? A tangled, unregulated mess that nobody wants to own or fix.
When Wires Threaten Lives
If you’ve ever driven through Panchavati, you’ve likely noticed the worst stretches—especially near local markets or close to school zones. In some places, the wires hang so low they brush the tops of buses and tempos. In others, they’re strung dangerously close to balconies and windows. One misstep, one broken cable, one rain-soaked knot of wires—and we could be talking about lives lost.
“It’s not just about how it looks—it’s about what it can do,” says Aniket Jadhav, a local shopkeeper. “Every storm season, we live in fear. Nobody should be this scared to step out on their own street.”
Who’s Responsible?
Good question. And an uncomfortable one. Officially, the PMC’s Road Department and the Sky Sign Department share responsibility for cable regulations. But ask any local which department they’ve called—and how many times—and the answer is always the same: nothing changes.
The issue, in essence, is a power vacuum—pun fully intended.
How Can You Help Fix This?
This isn’t just Panchavati’s story. It’s Pune’s story. And it’s one we can’t afford to ignore anymore.
Here’s how you can raise your voice:
1. File a Complaint on PMC Portal
Visit PMC Online Grievance Portal and submit a civic complaint. Be specific. Mention exact locations.
2. Call Your Ward Officer
Panchavati falls under the [Ward Number]. You can contact the local officer at [Contact Number] to push for an on-site inspection.
3. Use This Template:
“Subject: Dangerous Overhead Cables in Panchavati
Location: Near [Landmark/Street Name]
These hanging wires are a threat to public safety and need immediate attention. Request urgent inspection and removal.”
4. Spread the Word
Click photos. Post on social media with hashtags like #FixPuneWires #PanchavatiSafety. Tag PMC and your local representatives.
This Is About All of Us
If we wait for an accident to take place before acting, we’re complicit in the silence. Civic neglect only continues when it’s tolerated. So let’s not wait.
Let’s demand the sky be cleared above our heads. Let’s walk our streets without fear. Because safety shouldn’t be a privilege. It’s our right.
Written by someone who walks these very streets, dodges those very wires, and believes that together, we can get our sky back.
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