Shock & Awful – Poorly installed & maintained high-power cables kill thousands every year, but official apathy continues

Source: The post is based on the article “Shock & Awful – Poorly installed & maintained high-power cables kill thousands every year, but official apathy continues” published in The Times of India on 4^th April 2023.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Governance

Relevance: death caused by electrocution.

News: A British tourist has died in Himachal Pradesh from electrocution. The low-hanging high-voltage cable was installed by a major public sector undertaking – NHPC. Despite complaints to remove the cable, NHPC has not yet responded.

What are the concerns airing from the low-hanging high-voltage cables?

High power cables are often poorly installed close to houses with improper maintenance, especially in the urban areas.

Discoms hardly take any note of it and they are also little accountable to the death caused by those wires.

As per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2021 report, electrocution accounted for over 12,500 casualties, including 650 children aged below 14. This implies 34 people dying daily from electrocution.

These deaths are classified as accidents by NCRB. However, these deaths are the result of administrative negligence and apathy.

Further, election promises have led to unauthorized urban growth, making the problem more complex for cities.

What are some of the steps taken to prevent such deaths?

Kerala high court recently directed municipalities to remove such cables. Some towns have undertaken projects to underground electricity lines, but the speed of work has been inconsistent.

Despite these attempts, the issue is worsening due to a lack of planning for cities and towns.