Jeypore: Any construction within a radius of 35 to 40 metres of a land, on which 400, 220 or 132KV electric lines are drawn, is illegal. However, this norm is flagrantly violated here in Koraput district.
A 220KV lines are drawn near the Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL) power house, Global Hospital and Ashram Nagar which connects Jayanagar road here.
Real estate owners are selling plots in close proximity to the lines. Construction work has also started on some of the plots with the builders not paying any heed to the existing rules.
The encroachers have been issued notices by OPTCL directing them not to undertake any construction work under the high tension lines. However, the directives seem to have fallen on deaf ears as the construction work is continuing. The administration, on the other hand, is also not taking any concrete steps in this direction.
Electrocution incidents are inevitable if anyone comes close to within six to nine metres of the high tension wires. But that has not proved a deterrent to those who have illegally occupied plots here.
OPTCL DGM Chittaranjan Behera also pointed out that such illegal constructions will cause problems when any maintenance or repair work on the 220KV lines is undertaken in the future. However, he failed to disclose the steps taken to prevent the illegal occupation of the plots.
PNN
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