MLA Seeks Approval to Dig Mumbadevi Roads for Power Outage Repairs

Swift Summary

• Issue: Mumbadevi MLA Amin Patel (Congress) flagged prolonged power outages, lasting up to three days, in Mumbai’s Mumbadevi constituency.
• cause: Faulty adn outdated underground electricity cables are identified as the root issue. BEST has been using temporary overhead ‘jumpers,’ leading to increased short circuit incidents.
• Request: Patel formally requested BMC to allow BEST to dig newly laid cement concrete (CC) roads for cable replacement, despite existing policies prohibiting such excavation post-road construction.
• BMC’s Position: Exceptions might potentially be allowed for essential services after careful evaluation of requests due to public interest or emergencies. The city has concretised 1,169 roads since January 2023 under strict no-digging rules.
• BEST Response: Emergency teams provide alternative power supply during crises but await necessary permissions from BMC for long-term cable replacements.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The request by MLA Amin Patel underscores a typical urban infrastructure challenge-balancing modernisation projects like road concretisation with pressing utility repair needs.While BMC’s policy aims at preserving the integrity of new CC roads, unyielding adherence can become counterproductive when essential services like electricity face severe disruptions. The outages reported in densely populated areas like Mumbadevi raise concerns about public safety and economic impact.

Granting permission for carefully evaluated excavations could mitigate immediate difficulties while setting a precedent for responsive governance in critical situations.However, proper coordination between agencies before future infrastructure updates can minimise recurring issues and avoid disruptions altogether.

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