Electric traps turn death traps for farmers in Karimnagar

Electric traps laid to hunt wild animals by hunters are turning into death traps for people

Karimnagar: Electric traps laid to hunt wild animals by hunters are turning into death traps for people, with three lives being snuffed out recently by such electric traps in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

One person each in Karimnagar, Rajanna-Sircilla and Jagtial districts died after coming to contract with electric traps laid to hunt wild animals.

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Despite strict warnings by Electricity and Forest department officials, hunters are frequently laying electric traps at agricultural fields and at the bottom of hillocks.

With wild pigs frequently attacking standing crops during night by coming out from the nearby forests and hillocks, hunters are laying these traps at agricultural fields to kill them.

However, unsuspecting people, especially farmers, are becoming victims to such traps when they go to their agricultural fields without noticing the electric wires.

A 27 year-old youth, Bhukya Kishore, died after coming into contact with an electric trap arranged near Yelakacheral of Konaraopet mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district in the wee hours of Thursday.

A resident of Jaisevala Bhukyareddy thanda, Kishore had gone to till the land of a farmer Lokurthi Mallesham. While he was moving towards the field on a bike, he came into accidental contact with an electric trap and died on the spot.

In another incident, Guduri Swamy Reddy (54) died in Pichupalli of Chigurumamidi mandal on March 12. He came into contact with an electric trap laid in a cotton field for wild pigs when he went to his field to water the paddy crop. There was a similar incident in Jagtial district as well quite recently.

Though Electricity department officials warned to register cases under Section 304 (A) of the IPC (death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), the hunters are continuing to lay such traps.

Speaking to Telangana Today, NPDCL (Karimnagar) Superintendent Engineer V Gangadhar said it was a crime to arrange electric traps at agricultural fields to hunt wild animals and the people who arrange trap would be punished under Section 304 (A).

Pointing out that innocent farmers were losing their lives after coming into contact with these traps, he asked the hunters not to arrange traps at agricultural fields.

When asked about the Pichupalli incident, the SE said they had lodged a complaint with the police, who have registered a case against a few people based on the complaint by the wife of the deceased farmer.