Assam to take measures to stop electrocution deaths

Assam Power Minister Pallab Lochan Das on Thursday said the government plans to go for re-conduction of old wires and electric lines after 21 electrocution deaths were reported in the state this year.

The government is also going to make installation of Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker (ELCB) mandatory in every house that has a electricity connection above 2 KW, said Das addressing a press conference.

"This year 21 people have died so far due to electrocution in Assam. We have taken certain decisions to improve the safety related to electricity across the state. We have decide to go for an electric auditing in Guwahati so that electrocution can be avoided," he said.

Das said the government has already installed 40,000 line spacers in Guwahati to ensure that electric wires do not fall from the poles.

"In Guwahati we have about 2,500 km wire network. All the wiring is many years old and we are also planning to re-conduct at least 1,200 km of wiring afresh with new wires to ensure that there is no untoward eventuality," the Minister said adding that the Central government has already given Rs 149 core for the plan.

He said that the re-conduction of 1,200 km wiring will be completed by October this year.

Asked about the infrastructural lapses like faulty electric wires hanging on roadsides that often leads to fatalities, Das blamed the previous government and said that there was no mechanism in the Assam Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APDCL) to check the discrepancies.

Das also said the power department is planning to include some tricks to avoid electrocution in school curriculum. "Talks are on with the state education department in this regard," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal ordered an inquiry into the chronology of circumstances leading to an alleged spurt in the incidents of electrocution deaths during seasonal floods in Assam.

--IANS

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