Rise in number of electrocution deaths over the last six months

BENGALURU: The number of electrocution deaths has considerably increased over the last six months, leading to people questioning whether it is a failure of the Energy Department in preventing accidents related to electricity.

About 11 elephants lost lives due to electrocution and 2,147 people were victims of electrical accidents over the last six months. But there is no proper count for other animals, which died. The number of electrical accidents has increased since last one year. Animals, birds and humans are dying due to electrocution.

The total number of deaths including human, animals, injured, is as following:

Deaths of electrical accidents – 538

Number of people injured due to electrical accidents – 201

Number of animals killed – 617

Elephants killed due to electrocution: 11

Fire breakout cases due to short circuit – 780

Teetira N Appacchu, Chief Electrical Inspector, said, “The Energy and Electricity Inspectorate Department is taking precautionary measures to prevent accidents. These days, fire incidents are more in industries as they are taking less precautionary measures. About 50 per cent of the cases occur in north Karnataka are in sugarcane fields. The remaining 50 per cent of the cases can be seen in HT or LT insulation”.

“We have been sensitising the public, schools and colleges on using electricity. We also organise awareness programmes. We have been taking a lot of precautions. Farmers  are using high-voltage fences in the fields. They are supposed to use DC power for electric fences, but instead, they use AC power. Elephants come into contact with live wires unknowingly and die. Hence, farmers should be very careful about using such electric fences to prevent attacks on the field”.