Almost two years after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) directed Bescom and other power utilities to take up adequate safety measures to curb electrocution, the city power utility is now making preparations to invest Rs 250 crore to insulate low-lying electric wires.
In 2010, following the death of eight-year-old Sunitha, who died when she stepped on a live electric cable lying on the ground near her school in Gangondanahalli off Mysore Road, the KERC gave instructions to come up with safety standards and preventive measures. The Bescom had then initiated a study to identify all hazardous locations in the city. “By August, the project will start and at all locations that have been identified as hazardous, insulation work will be initiated. The work will be carried out in a phased manner, and work in some areas such as Jayanagar and Indiranagar is expected to be completed by December,” a senior official from Bescom informed.
In order to ensure increased safety, the utility will replace overhead cables with aerial bunched cables (ABCs), as these are considered to have a high level of insulation quality. Besides ensuring safety, these cables will also make sure that theft and pilferage of electricity will be avoided completely, the official added. The immediate need for bringing in improved safety measure in electricity supply was felt in 2010, when the state recorded the highest number of deaths caused due to electrocution - 399.
In 2011, the number of deaths was reduced to 243. “We have asked Eesoms to prepare safety plans, so that instead of paying compensation to people, they should work towards reducing loss of life,” said KERC chairman M.R. Sreenivasa Murthy.