SPDCL CMD denies negligence of staff in death of 3 farmers

Tirupati: Effective measures are in place to prevent electric mishaps, said APSPDCL and APEPDCL chairman and managing director (CMD) K Santhosh Rao. In a statement here on Sunday, Santhosh Rao expressed his grief over the death of three persons due to electric shock in Chiyyapadu village in Chapadu mandal of Kadapa district. He said preliminary enquiries revealed that they sustained electric shock due to linking service wire and the starter box of motor with a GI wire and not as reported in the media stating that they sustained electric shock after coming into contact with a snapped overhead power line, revealing the electricity employees' negligence which is not true.

The farmers in some places resorted to linking the starter box in the motor (pumpset) to the service wire with a GI wire resulting in electric shock, he explained. Detailing the reasons behind the incidents of electric shock, he said the farmers were using unauthorised power connections and people taking repairs on their own like restoring fuse wires instead of informing the staff to attend it, also found to be the reason in many cases of electric shock which is concerning, he averred. The other reasons for electric mishap include lack of safety measures during construction works and using substandard materials for indoor electrification, he said, insisting on using only the materials like switch board, bulbs, wires etc. with ISI mark and taking up adequate safety measures. In case of live wires getting snapped, the people should first report it to concerned Transco or SPDCL personnel or toll free no. 1012 and avoid contacting the live wire. The power distribution company on its part regularly reviewing the field level safety measures and gearing up the field staff strive their best to check electric mishap, he said seeking the public cooperation also to check power mishaps.