As many as 94 persons, including four employees of Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), which serves eight districts including Bangalore Urban and Bangalore Rural, have died in electrical accidents so far this financial year. Buildings constructed close to high tension lines in violation of building bylaws have been blamed for a majority of deaths.
Bescom reported 116 deaths, including 11 Bescom employees, in electrical accidents during 2012-2013.
“In the city areas, a majority of electrocutions have been reported in buildings built close to HT lines. Many deaths have been reported at construction sites when workers come into contact with live wires,” a senior Bescom official, said. In other instances, electrocution-related deaths have been reported even while recovering kites that get stuck in the HT line, the official added.
In rural areas, deaths have been reported due to improper grounding of irrigation pumpsets, the official said, adding that three persons were electrocuted after coming in contact with live wires. Boilers have been the main reasons for domestic household electrical accidents that caused death, the official said.
The power utility serves about two crore people across Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Kolar, Tumkur, Chitradurga, Davangere, Ramnagaram and Chickballapur districts.
According to the official, aerial bunched insulated cables are being introduced to prevent electrocution and all the high tension lines across the Bescom’s jurisdiction will be completed over the next three 3 years.
Identification and rectification of hazardous locations by restringing loose spans and providing intermediate poles has been taken up to prevent electrical accidents, the Bescom said in a release.
