Power thefts cause electrocution, say discoms

After two electrocution deaths within three days in the national capital, private power companies said Friday that elecricity thefts and illegal low-lying cables hooked to mainlines were the reasons for such incidents.

"Many try to hook an illegal cable onto the main electricity line, which poses a serious safety hazard, especially during the monsoon months. Despite discoms putting insulated conductors, some anti-social elements indulging in power theft attach cables to over-head electricity lines, jeopardizing the lives of people around them," a discom official told IANS.

On Wednesday, 35-year-old Vinod Kumar died due to electrocution in Harsh Vihar colony in east Delhi as an iron rod he was carrying accidentally touched a low-lying high tension wire on the terrace.

In another incident, 32-year-old documentary filmmaker Anand Bhaskar Morla died in Green Park in south Delhi after his car door brushed an iron gate that was in contact with a live wire.

The discoms also claim that they remove large quantities of illegal wires from the overhead system.

The private discoms also blame local cable television operators who string wires illegally and in a haphazard manner on a distribution company's electricity poles.

"Local cable operators have to fix cables as per specifications to ensure safety. We (discoms have been writing to these errant cable operators repeatedly and have issued several notices to enter into an agreement with the company to use our pole, but to no avail. We regularly disconnect these illegally strung cables," a discom official said.

Private power companies said that it was a common sight in some unauthorised colonies to see an electricity pole literally inside or merged with a house balcony due to encroachment. The illegal extensions have balconies within a handshaking distance of the distribution box or transformer fuse, which expose residents to grave danger.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 8,750 people across the country lost their lives due to electrocution last year. In Delhi alone, 153 people died after coming in contact with live wires.

"Most deaths are recorded during the rainy season," an NCRB official told IANS.

Complaints about power theft can be made at 39999707 and 39999808.