Mancherial sees rise in electrocution deaths

Electrocution has claimed 27 human lives and 78 lives of cattle in the district in 2022-23

Mancherial: Electrocutions are turning into a cause for concern in the district.

Electrocution has claimed 27 human lives and 78 lives of cattle in the district in 2022-23 while 38 human lives were lost, apart from 152 cattle, in 2021-22.

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As many as 29 persons were electrocuted in 2020-21 and 20 humans lost their lives in 2019-20. On an average, 29 persons died every year of electrocution in the last four years. These do not include those who died of electric shock after coming into touch with electric traps set for animals.

According to officials, most of the electrocutions were caused by substandard wiring in houses.

“Many go for substandard wires to save costs. Some use PVC pipes instead of XLPE cables, which are chemically bonded together and are more durable, contributing to the overall stability of the cable when faced with higher temperature situations,” an NPDCL official said.

Several of NPDCL’s consumers were opting for poor quality wiring and hiring unqualified wiremen in order to cut down on cost. They are also not ensuring that the house has proper electrical earthing, which can reduce risk of electrical shocks.

NDPCL Superintending Engineer R Sesha Rao said certain consumers were compromising in selecting quality wiring and taking safety measures. To bring down the number of mishaps and fatalities, a safety week was being observed in every May to create awareness among consumers. The company was also extending compensation to kin of electrocution victims if found genuine.

The NPDCL is providing a compensation of Rs.5 lakh to a family if a human is electrocuted, Rs.40,000 to farmers for loss of cattle and Rs.7,000 when a sheep or goat dies of electrical shock caused by the negligence of the utility. The victims will get financial aid within two-three weeks. People are advised to contact either Dial 108 or 104 services during an emergency.