Electrocution cases rise in state-owned Discos

ISLAMABAD: Electrocution cases in jurisdictions of state-owned power distribution companies (Discos) are on the rise, apparently due to the negligence of the employees of these companies, but nobody has taken its serious note.

In a latest case, an eight-year-old boy Faiz Muhammad from district Jafarabad, Balochistan, got electrocuted due to alleged negligence of Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) employees. This incident took place on 31st Aug 2018, after he touched low-hanging 11kV lines in Gandakha in Jafarabad and got severely burnt. Due to unavailability of burn treatment facilities in the area, he was shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), Islamabad, where doctors have been forced to amputate his left hand on September 12.

When The News contacted his father Umaid Ali, who is a police constable, he said, “My son’s left hand has been amputated. It severely hurts me, when I see my son lying on the bed of the hospital without his hand. The SHO of police station Gandakha is not ready to lodge my FIR, asking me to take a written letter from the court of law, and then he would register the report.”

He further said, “I appeal to Prime Minister and Chief Justice of Pakistan to take the note of the case, as I am poor and have no approach to high authorities.”

This correspondent then contacted the SHO Gandakha, Peer Bakhsh Bugti, who said, “The high-power cable was hanging very low for last many days, and the Qesco was also informed, but they took no action and later this incident took place.” When asked that why FIR was not lodged, He said, “We were informed through telephone, but have not lodged the FIR as the departmental inquiry in Qesco is underway.”

On September 03, high tension cables fell on a house in Sargodha resulting in a 12-year-old boy receiving severe burns. According to the family, numerous complaints to fix the wires before their collapse were made, but Fesco employees demanded Rs50,000 as bribe for fixing these wires.

In July this year, 10-year-old Zeeshan Rajput passed away when an 11 kV wire broke and fell on him in Tando Allah Yar under jurisdiction of Hesco. Another case was also reported in same district when an 11 kV wire fall on 12-year-old Dharam Das, who is still seeking rehabilitation and compensation from Hesco.

It is worth mentioning that the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) in the latest Performance Evaluation Report of ex-Wapda Discos and privatised K-Electric for 2016/17, 147 fatalities took place in all distribution companies in 2016/17, of which there were eight fatalities in K-Electric. The breakup of data reveals that 83 of these were employees and 64 were general public.

In ex-Wapda Discos, the highest number of fatalities was recorded in Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) with 29, followed by Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) and Sukar Electric Supply Company (Sepco) with 20 each. In Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) there were 16 fatalities while in Islamabad Electric Supply Company (Iesco) and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Sepco) the number was 15 each. In Quetta Electric Supply Company (Qesco) the number was 11 and in Multan Electric Supply Company (Mepco) there were 10 fatalities.

The lowest number of fatalities was reported in Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) three and then eight in privatized K-Electric with eight fatalities.

Experts on industrial safety decried the lack of response by the power utilities and called for urgent attention towards the rehabilitation of a deteriorating network. They advised that the government should seek approaches for rectification which engage multiple stakeholders and ensure that victims of downed power lines are provided the appropriate support. Additionally, they said, strategies must be developed to ensure that the weakened infrastructure is bolstered immediately to prevent further incidents from occurring.