Make way for the transformers

BANGALORE: The city’s pavements seem to have earned a dubious reputation with missing stone slabs, garbage strewn across the pavement and construction debris dumped by the constructor in the area. From the looks of it, the space that was specifically allotted for pedestrians is now being used for everything else but to walk on.Transformers and electrical installments on the pavement are not an unusual sight. There are thousands of them. “There are many such transformer in the city that have been built over the pavements. Though they are a problem as they occupy the space meant for people to walk on, they have been there for years together now,” said S Somashekhar, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) chief engineer East.Though the pavements are constructed by the BBMP for the benefit of the people, they seem to be helpless when it comes to the transformers.“Unfortunately the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) officials do not consult us before building a transformer on the pavement.If they ask us for land we will provide it to them,” he adds.Speaking of land, the question that arises next is, where is the space? The transformer on Trinity Circle is a classic example of how pedestrians have to walk on the road as there is no space left on the footpath for them to walk on. Cauvery signal is another such case.Apart from these there are many such electrical installations that are at ground level across the city. While some of them are in a proper condition, the rest are open with the wires dangerously exposed.“Some of these transformers are very wrongly situated.However, it is understandable that sometimes due to space constraints they have no other option but to place it on the pavement. But if they are placing it on the pavement, it is their responsibility to maintain it as well.Open electrical boxes with loose wires hanging out of it put the pedestrians at risk.Who will be responsible in case there is an accident?” asks Ajay Karwasram, a student of fashion design.He further pointed out that its not only the electrical transformers, its also the telephone transformers.Though the electrical transformers are bigger and more bulky, the telephone transformer which are much smaller are more often than not abruptly placed in the middle of the footpath.According to Ashok Angadi, BESCOM chief engineer for Bangalore Metropolitan Area, the single pole transformers have been banned by the central government due to the dangers it poses.As far as the problems concerning the space that the transformer occupies is concerned, he said, “Changing these transformers will require huge funds.” When questioned if the BESCOM is in accordance with the BBMP when it comes to space for the transformers, he said, “Yes we do speak to them about it.”