Power distribution company BSES has issued an advisory to consumers to ensure that kites do not cause tripping of power lines as it leaves the Power Department to locate and repair faults, some of which take a long time to rectify.
The company has urged consumers to avoid use of metallic thread for flying kites. “Sometimes this otherwise innocuous activity can be hazardous, even fatal at times. The wide-spread use of metal coated thread, which is a good conductor of electricity, poses a great danger not only to the person flying the kite, but also poses a risk to the electricity supply of an area. Each year, there are several instances on both counts,” said a spokesperson.
Disrupting power supply and causing damage to power equipment is also punishable under the Electricity Act and the Delhi Police Act.
“According to estimates, tripping of just one 33/66 kV overhead line can disrupt power supply to over 10,000 residents of an area. And a tripping of a single 11 kV line affects over 2,500 residents. And each year there are scores of such incidents in the city. Last year, there were 44 instances of kite flying-related incidents in BSES area,” informed the spokesperson.
The company has been educating residents' welfare associations about the perils of flying kites near electricity installations. “In the run-up to Independence Day, BSES discoms have put their operations and maintenance teams on extra alert to take care of any kite flying related contingencies,” the spokesperson added.
