Cables damaged: Bridge cost shoots up by ₹2.5cr

Nagpur: The cost of the Nag river bridge widening project near Swami Vivekanand Smarak has just gone up by over ₹2.50 crore. The state Public Works Department (PWD), which is looking after the project, has allegedly damaged 132KV electric cables of Mahatransco. The transmission company is now seeking money from PWD for the damage to its cables and their restoration, which is estimated to cost around ₹2.50 crore.Currently, the bridge widening cost is estimated at Rs8 crore, and if MSETCL’s demand is considered, it will go over Rs10.50 crore.

MSETCL officials have alleged that PWD officials did not inform them about the works in advance, or they would have taken suitable measures. They also alleged that they had asked for time to carefully move the cables, which were laid as part of setting up a substation at Lendra Park, but the PWD went ahead with the work and damaged the cables.MSETCL executive engineer Nitin Angaitkar said the estimated cost of removing the damaged cables and their later restoration after the bridge is completed would be over ₹2.50 crore. “As the bridge construction started immediately, it came to our notice, and we visited the spot. We spoke to PWD officials and asked them to give us 7 to 8 days to remove the cables. The cables are special and need to be carefully cut so that they can be reused before storing them. But the next day, the contractor continued the work and MSETCL cables were damaged,” said Angaitkar.He said electricity supply was not hit when the cables were damaged since they had been laid for a substation that is still in the works. “We have also sent a letter to the PWD about the damages but have not yet mentioned the cost of restoration and other works,” he said, adding that there are a lot of activities involved in the procedure to remove and restore the cables.The reconstruction work was allotted to PWD by Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).PWD executive engineer Chandrashekhar Giri refuted the allegations and said that they had intimated MSETCL earlier and the cables were not even touched. “The cables are not damaged; we have instructed MSETCL to remove them. We did not even touch them. And the project is of NMC, if MSETCL is seeking money then it would be between those two agencies,” said Giri, adding that many other agencies are also shifting their material from the spot.In the letter to PWD, MSETCL said that after a joint visit with PWD officials they had asked the latter to hold off the work, but the PWD contractor damaged the 132KV cable during dismantling of the bridge.
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