The wooden poles installed during rural electrification efforts in several settlements of Triveni and Chhatreshwari rural municipalities two decades ago are in a dilapidated condition, posing a serious threat to local residents.

Many of these utility poles have decayed over a time and are on the brink of collapse. Local residents are worried about the looming danger as the authorities concerned have not yet replaced the shaky poles. The dilapidated poles pose threat to the residents of Bhumkejyula, Tunibot, Sallekhola and Karagithi villages of Triveni Rural Municipality, and Darimjyula, Lanti, Shankhamul, Ranagaun, Kharkhola and Dandasalle villages of Chhatreshwari Rural Municipality in Salyan district.

“Many of the electricity poles are close to houses and animal sheds. They are so shaky that strong winds could bring them down. The houses and sheds could be burnt and even people may be electrocuted,” said Chhabi Thapa, a resident of Bhumkejyula. “We repeatedly requested the rural municipality and electricity office several times. But they have not taken any action to resolve the problem,” he lamented.

According to Thapa, his strawstack caught fire due to sparks caused by low-hanging electricity wires last year. “Nobody dared to douse the fire in the strawstack fearing an electric shock,” he added.

More than 1,000 households of various settlements of two local bodies are at high risk due to the shaky wooden utility poles. The local people feel unsafe as the authorities have ignored their repeated requests. They say that during storms, the low and loosely hanging wires collide and cause sparks.

Under the rural community electrification programme, around 200 wooden poles were erected Bhumkejyula, Tunibot, Sallekhola, Karagithi, Darimjyula, Lanti, Shankhamul, Ranagaun, Kharkhola and Dandasalle villages in 2005-06. Most of these poles have now rotten, and some are on the verge of collapse.

Villagers have complained that they are forced to live under constant threat due to the negligence of the authorities. “So far, there have been no human casualties, but these decaying poles could cause huge loss of life and property at any time. The cables frequently collide and spark during windy and rainy weather,” said Resham Basnet of Tunibot.

The replacement of wooden poles with steel ones has been in limbo, at least in Salyan, due confusion regarding the responsibility after the recent dissolution of the rural community electrification programme.

According to Manoj Shah, ward 6 chairman of Triveni Rural Municipality, several villages have been affected due to shaky wooden poles. “We requested the issue with the authorities concerned after receiving complaints from villagers. They assured us to resolve the problem but nothing has been done yet,” said Shah. “Since the rural community electrification programme has now been scrapped, we hope the problem will be resolved once the programme’s responsibility is handed over to the Nepal Electricity Authority.”

According to the Salyan branch of the Nepal Electricity Authority, there are around 250 wooden electricity poles in Tribeni, Chhatreshwari and Sharada local units in the district. “The rural community electrification programme has been dissolved, and we will replace the wooden poles with steel ones soon after the programme’s responsibilities are officially handed over to the Nepal Electricity Authority,” said Dinesh Paudel, chief of Salyan branch of Nepal Electricity Authority.