Residents of Kalyani Nagar have expressed strong concern over the installation of multiple electric junction boxes on pedestrian walkways, particularly at the corner of from Adlab Chowk to DMart and in front of Cerebrum Phase-1.
According to the residents, the junction boxes occupy a significant portion of the footpath, leaving little to no space for pedestrians to walk. People are forced to walk on the busy road, exposing themselves to the risk of accidents.
Residents have urged the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), and the Traffic Department to take immediate action.
Residents speak up
"We have requested authorities to identify and remove unused or dummy junction boxes, and to relocate active ones away from the main footpath to ensure safe pedestrian movement. Public safety must come first. Footpaths are meant for pedestrians, not to house equipment that forces people into traffic,” said Haresh Bharwani, another resident.
Monica Sharma, a Kalyani Nagar resident, said, "We, the residents of Kalyani Nagar, wish to draw urgent attention to the unsafe condition of the footpaths on Gold Adlabs Chowk, Kalyani Nagar. Numerous electric junction boxes have been installed on already narrow walkways, leaving little to no space for pedestrians. With DMart Road near the chowk being dug up repeatedly, the problem has worsened, forcing people, including senior citizens, children, and the differently abled, to walk in the middle of a busy road, directly endangering their lives."
She added, "Upon inspection, several boxes appear to be empty or unused, serving no functional purpose but still blocking the path. As residents, we strongly demand that MSEDCL promptly conducts a ground-level survey, relocating active boxes away from high-traffic thoroughfares and removing the surplus ones. Additionally, we ask the PMC to take necessary actions to amend and maintain proper footpaths, so that the citizens can enjoy unhindered mobility."
Sanjay Malpe, Additional Executive Engineer, MSEDCL, said, "We received a complaint regarding the high-tension boxes on the footpath. There are three such boxes, out of which only two are working, so we will be removing the one that is not working."
He added, "People are concerned about incidents of electrocution during the monsoons, but the high-tension boxes are designed to trip and cut off power in case of a fault, preventing electrocution. Also, we don't have any objection to removing it from the footpath and installing it in open areas or some other space, but we need that space."
