Fire not our fault, say MSEB, PMC

Officials of both bodies blame each other for a cable emitting sparks near Japanese garden

Fire not our fault, say MSEB, PMC

Officials of both bodies blame each other for a cable emitting sparks near Japanese garden

An alert Puneite averted a major tragedy on Saturday, but the concerned authorities are only worried about who to blame for it. At 6.25 pm, Babu Dhondiba Londhe, a labourer, noticed flames rising from a high frequency 22kv cable wire near the Japanese Garden on Sinhagad Road where three slum children were playing. Londhe saved the children, but suffered severe burns on his face.

Blame game
The MSEB and PMC are busy passing the buck. When contacted, MSEB Executive Engineer (Paravati division) Mahendra Divakar said, "PMC never approached us before it's Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM) cell started work on the cycle track on Sinhagad Road. The machines they used for digging hit the cable and caused the mishap. These cables were laid under the ground around 25 years ago. If they had approached us, we would have sent our wireman to guide them."

'MSEB's fault'
However, PMC laid the blame squarely on the MSEB. When contacted, Vinay Deshpande, JNURM chief engineer, said, "MSEB is solely responsible for this incident. The mishap occurred because they overlooked important rules and high frequency cables were laid haphazardly." He added that his department had informed the MSEB about the danger a couple of times, but was ignored. "If the high frequency cables had been laid 1.5 metres below the ground as they are supposed to be, this incident would not have occurred," said Deshpande.

Meanwhile, Londhe has been discharged from the hospital. Said his wife, "Corporator Shankar Pawar extended financial help for Londhe's treatment. But neither PMC's road department nor MSEB inquired about his health. We do not want to stretch this issue as my husband is safe."

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