Labourer experiences electric shock while cleaning drain near Yeshwanthpur flyover

BENGALURU: Workers who had come to clean a drain near the Yeshwanthpur flyover were startled for a moment. One person who got into the drain experienced an electric shock as BESCOM has installed an electric cable in the drain.

The frightened workers immediately came out of the drain and reported the matter to their supervisor. An 11 kV electric cable had been laid inside the drain without using any protective pipe.

In some places, cables are drawn through pipes in drains for greater safety, but that was not done in this case. The workers who came for the drain work were terrified after experiencing an electric shock. “If something had happened, who would be responsible?” they asked.

Expressing concern, a worker asked, “What if something happens? We are working here leaving our hometown just for the sake of livelihood. The Bescom engineers concerned must arrange for separate, safe cable installation”.

Nallaiah, a labourer, said, “We do not know who did this; someone experienced an electric shock while inserting an iron rod. The Bescom should cover cables with insulators, but no such protective measures have been taken here. When we experienced an electric shock, all were came out”.

Ashwath Narayan, a local resident, said that the drainage work has been going on for the last week. “The cable lay in our land. We don’t know what had happened. Bescom has to take precaution measures. The power utility has done it in a hurry and is risking lives of people”.