3 people die every day in UP while repairing electricity faults 

It may sound bizarre but three people on an average die every day in Uttar Pradesh because of faulty electric establishments. At least 3,491 people have died in accidents while repairing electric faults in last five years making Uttar Pradesh electricity department as one of the most hazardous workplaces.

Chairman of UP Power Consumer Forum Avdhesh Kumar said that figures released by the Central Electric Authority about UP is very frightening. What is more unfortunate is that people who lose their lives in these accidents are ad hoc employees and they are not entitled to any government benefits. The state government does not even give ex-gratia to them. People do not know about the death of these persons, he said.

“The government employees who are supposed to mend faults give directions while ad hoc employees work. These people work without any protection. Sometimes they work on live wires without gloves and this proves fatal for them,” Kumar said.

The figure of the casualties was revealed by the report of the UP state electrical safety directorate that was submitted to the Central electrical authority. The casualties include only the reported incidents where either FIRs are registered or deaths are mentioned in the log of electricity department. The deaths include those by electrocution, fatal fall from poles or accidents in power plants.

The report says that in last five years since 2012-13 as many as 3,491 persons lost their lives due to accidents in electrical installations. Going by this number, three persons die each day in Uttar Pradesh due to accidents in electrical installations like the low and high-tension power lines and transmission and distribution sub-stations.

In 2016-17, as many as 958 people lost their lives from accidents in electrical installations. The report makes no mention of the deaths of cattle and loss to standing crop due to fire started by the snapping of the high-tension transmission power lines.

The UP Power Consumer Forum has moved a petition before the power regulator, UP State Electricity Authority, seeking directions for the public sector UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) and its subsidiaries for implementing required safety measures for preventing the recurrence of such incidents. The regulator has asked the forum to file a detailed report before it issues notice to UPPCL.

Power Minister Shrikant Sharma said that government has initiated steps to give protection to employees working in hazardous conditions. “I have not seen the report and will evaluate it once it comes to my table,” he said.