Chennai Citizen Connect: Stray cables across city pose safety risks; swift intervention sought

CHENNAI: Dangling cable wires along footpaths and roads have become a common sight across the city and possibly a hazard for pedestrians and commuters.

The dangerous cable wires have created a major inconvenience for the public while navigating pavements and streets, with high chances of property damage and electrocution. Anna Salai, one of the city’s major routes, experiences heavy vehicular movement throughout the day.

Commuters using the Government Estate Metro subway have particularly expressed concern over the cable that has been lying on the road near the subway for months. It is to be noted that this subway is located near an English daily office on Anna Salai.

Motorists and pedestrians have been urging officials to remove these cables, as they pose risks of accidents and obstruct pedestrian and vehicle movement.

After DT NEXT contacted the State Highway department regarding the issue, the cable was swiftly removed by the staff. However, the public stressed that the department concerned should check if such cables are posing a threat elsewhere in the city.

A regular commuter remarked, “Not everyone uses the subway; many people walk on the road to reach Ritchie Street, Mount Road, and other nearby areas. During the rainy season, the unremoved or stray electric cables pose significant safety risks.”

H Ajay, a resident of Perambur, said, “Now that this particular issue has been addressed, we request that both the state and national highway departments scout for such stray cables in the city and fix them permanently.”