A 240 KV Tangedco transformer is posing a risk to the safety of pedestrians and motorists on two counts.
It is weather-beaten and fragile and its steel rods are protruding dangerously. And, it stands in the carriageway of the busy Arcot Road.
“This section of Arcot Road is already narrow, and the transformer has eaten into this constricted space. If a vehicle hits the transformer, the result could be very bad,” says S. Vasuki, a resident of Valasaravakkam. Interestingly, many months ago, local Tangdeco officials installed two concrete pillars behind the existing transformer on the extreme end of the stretch to relocate the transformer on to the new concrete pillars. However, due to lack of equipment and manpower, the shifting was not carried out, say Tangdeco officials.
They have also pointed out that they have not received a nod from Tangedco’s headquarters at Anna Salai as the shifting process involves diversion of traffic on the busy and congested Arcot Road.
If the shifting work has to be executed at night, special permission from the police is necessary. All these factors have contributed to the delay in shifting of the transformer.
