Electrocution cases due to low-hanging high-tension wires on rise in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 17

The death of a 10-year-old child on Sunday due to electrocution while playing on his home’s roof is not the first incident in the city. The reason behind most of such incident is the apathetic attitude of the authorities who are yet to wake up to address the problem of high-tension electricity wires hanging over residential areas in the city.

In March 2015, a 14-year-old girl was electrocuted in Sri Ram Avenue. In February 2015, a 5-year-old girl had sustained serious injuries after coming in contact with live electricity wires at Sardar Avenue, Tungbala Road, on February 28. In December 2018, a three-and-a-half-year-old child fell on live electricity wires running parallel to the walls while playing on the roof.

One can see high-tension electricity wires passing over localities such as New Dashmesh Nagar, Indira Colony, Mohakampura, Azad Nagar and many others, which were built in the last 15-20 years on the outskirts of the city. In many areas, live electricity wires can be spotted running parallel to the windows of the first floor of houses.

Residents have raised the demand of shifting the wires, especially in the run-up to elections, nothing has been done so far as Power Corporation officials state that residents would have to bear expenses if they want to shift the wires.

“In most cases, the poles and wires were installed long before the localities came up. People purchased these plots as colonisers of these illegal colonies sold them at cheaper rates. Now, either the residents would have to collectively bear the expenses of shifting or the government can do something,” said an official of Power Corporation on condition of anonymity.

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