‘Criminal cases against farmers who put up electrical fencing around their fields’

Chairman and Managing Director of TSNPDCL A Gopal Rao has warned that criminal cases would be booked against such farmers who put up electrical fencing around their fields.

Hyderabad: In the wake of recent incidents of a few farmers getting electrocuted after coming into contact with electrical fencing put up by them or their neighbours as part of their efforts to protect their standing crops from wild animals, Chairman and Managing Director of Northern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Limited (TSNPDCL) A Gopal Rao has warned that criminal cases would be booked against such farmers who put up electrical fencing around their fields.

In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Gopal Rao stated that putting up electrical fencing around the field was a punishable offence and the guilty could be sentenced to 10-years imprisonment. He said that even the forest department could also file cases against them as a large number of wild animals were being electrocuted due to these fences.

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The CMD reminded that due to these electrical fences both farmers and wild animals were being killed. “By setting up electrical fences around fields farmers were not only putting the lives of wild animals and cattles in danger but also their own and people of the village,”he said. He stated that a lot of cases of death of both animals and people were being reported across the State, hence, it was high time that farmers desist from such practices.

Gopal Rao said that farmers should use alternative methods such as usage of loud speakers to keep wild animals away from their fields. He said that some people were using electrical devices to catch fishes from the ponds and tanks, which was extremely dangerous. He advised them not to use electric devices for fishing as it would put their and others lives in danger.

He asked farmers to contact power department officials on toll free number 180042f50028 for information and advice.