SHILLONG: Rusted and damaged electric poles carrying live wires are posing a threat to people at different places in the city. A few poles are in a precarious position in some busy areas and may fall anytime due to continuing corrosion at the bottom.
A case in point is some poles at Fourth Furlong. Here, a rusted electric pole (01B007210H) has gone kaput and the MeECL, instead of changing it, has opted for an easy way out by just tying it.
Just next to the electric post, a couple of women were seen fetching water from a public tap making them vulnerable to any accident.
A similar disaster awaits the unsuspecting on the way from Polo to Golf Club where three electric poles are bent posing a risk but the authorities don’t seem to have time to attend to these. In Jhalupara and its adjacent localities, some electric poles are on the verge of getting rusted. The poles sway when strong wind blows.
As Shillong city is witnessing strong wind, many question if the authorities are aware of the danger which these rusted electric poles pose for the public.
Residents also lamented that calls made to the MeECL complaint numbers often go unanswered and sometimes it is even difficult to connect to the numbers in times of emergency
A resident said that the MeECL should have one fixed helpline number for all complaints instead of having to call up different area managers in times of emergency
“When most of the customers are prompt in paying the bills of MeECL, why can’t the MeECL show the same concern for their safety and address their grievances in real quick time,” a resident asked.
