Low-hanging power cables pose threat to villagers, livestock
Dipender Manta
Tribune News Service
Mandi, June 7
Low-hanging power cables passing through trees at Ropa panchayat in the remote Chauhar valley of Mandi district are posing a serious threat to the lives of people and livestock.
According to residents of Ropa, they frequently take their cattle to the area to graze. The power cables passing through trees at some places are hanging too low and pose a serious risk to human lives and livestock.
Sohan Thakur, a resident of Ropa, said, “Power cables pass through trees between Ropa and Nog Mahol and at a few places in Ropa panchayat. At some places, the power cables are hanging quite low, and can lead to fatal accidents. In the past, incidents of electrocution have been reported in the district”.
Labh Singh Thakur, another resident of Ropa Panchayat, urged the Himachal State Electricity Board at Mandi to relocate the power cables. He said, “The area residents are suffering because of low power voltage for the past few years. Students are the most affected, as they are unable to study properly due to low voltage”.
“Villagers are unable to use thrashers in their agricultural fields, as these require adequate voltage for smooth functioning. We urge the authorities concerned to upgrade the electric transformer at Ropa panchayat to provide better power supply to the people,” he said.
Ashwani Kumar, Chief Engineer of HP State Electricity Board, Mandi, said that the field staff had been directed to remove power cables from trees in a stipulated time to avoid any untoward incident.
