New Delhi, July 13, 2025 –
Underground Electric Wiring Pilot Project Launched in Delhi by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta. The city’s first pilot project to shift overhead electricity cables underground to be executed in Shalimar Bagh’s BH Block. With a ₹100 crore budget allocated in the 2025-26 budget, this project marks a transformative step in urban power distribution.
Table of Contents
Project Details – Underground Electric Wiring
- Pilot Zone: Shalimar Bagh, benefiting ~5,500 households at Janta Flats BH Block.
- Budget & Scale: Dedicated ₹8.07 crore for this segment, as part of a larger ₹100 crore city-wide rollout.
- Work Plan: Removal of 5 km overhead lines; installation of 10 km low-tension and 1.2 km high-tension underground cables, along with 23 dual-source feeder pillars and upgraded streetlights.
- Timeline: CM Gupta said the pilot is expected to complete in around three months.
Key Benefits Cited – Underground Electric Wiring
- Enhanced Safety: Reduces hazards from storms, falling cables, and line entanglements .
- Improved Aesthetics: Frees the urban environment from the visual clutter of tangled overhead wires.
- Power Reliability: Promises 24×7 uninterrupted electricity, even during extreme conditions, as emphasized by Power Minister Ashish Sood.
- Smart City Alignment: Project aligns with PM Modi’s ‘Smart Infrastructure’ mission.
Officials & Agency Insights – Underground Electric Wiring
- Tata Power-DDL CEO Dwijadas Basak described the model as “first-of-its-kind” in India, potentially scalable across the capital.
- CM Gupta noted the initiative will serve as a benchmark for future urban power infrastructure – making Delhi “secure, cleaner and modern”.
- The budget also allocates a total of ₹3,847 crore to Delhi’s power department, supporting auxiliary schemes like rooftop solar under the PM Surya Ghar initiative.
Public Reaction: Reddit Voices
Here’s a glimpse of rediffusion from Reddit:
“Overhead cables are the main reason for a lot of issues logistically too… Lack of political will and citizens to protest.”
— u/username on r/Chennai, echoing broader concerns over tangled wires in Indian metros.
“We should have underground wire connection like USA … It looks beautiful, does not cause fire…”
— u/username on r/delhi.
These voices reflect strong public desire for cleaner, safer, and more modern underground utility infrastructure.
Final Take
Delhi’s pilot is more than a civics upgrade—it’s a testbed for 21st-century urban planning. If the Shalimar Bagh rollout proves successful, the initiative could redefine how Indian metros distribute electricity: safer lines, fewer disruptions, and a more scenic skyline.
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