Chennai: Cable wires hanging on footpaths and roads have become a common sight across the city and can pose a danger to pedestrians and other commuters. These dangerous cable wires have caused great inconvenience to people while walking on footpaths and roads, increasing the possibility of property damage and electric shock. Anna Salai, one of the major routes of the city, has heavy vehicular traffic throughout the day. Commuters using the Government Estate Metro Subway have expressed concern, especially about the cable that has been lying on the road near the subway for months. Notably, the subway is located near the office of an English daily in Anna Salai. Drivers and pedestrians have been urging the authorities to remove these cables as they pose a risk of accidents and obstruct the movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
After DT Next approached the State Highways Department about the issue, the staff removed the cable immediately. However, people insisted that the concerned department should check if such cables are posing a hazard elsewhere in the city. A regular commuter said, “Not everyone uses the Metro; many walk on the road to reach Ritchie Street, Mount Road and other nearby areas. During the rainy season, unremoved or scattered electric wires pose a major safety hazard.” H Ajay, a resident of Perambur, said, “Now that this particular problem has been resolved, we request the State and National Highways Department to look for such scattered wires in the city and fix them permanently.”
