PSPCL in slumber, Daba worried

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, March 29

Even eight months after two deaths due to electrocution in the Daba area, it seems the department concerned is still in a deep slumber. The damaged electricity poles and naked wires dangling close to buildings still pose a threat to precious lives.

A partially damaged electricity pole on street number 4 of Kabir Nagar at Daba depicts “non-seriousness” of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited. The broken pole stands on the support of a piece of wood.

Apart from this, people’s complaints about live wires passing close to their factories, shops and houses have fallen on deaf ears. They said the authorities concerned had been ignoring their complaints for a long time.

Narinder Kumar had been electrocuted on Daba Road. A nine-year-old girl had been electrocuted at a dance academy in the Shimlapuri area of Daba in July, 2018. She was electrocuted when she came in contact with the wires passing close to the dance academy building, residents said.

Blaming the PSPCL and the MC for these deaths, an activist, Rashpal Singh Gabria, had filed a complaint to the Punjab State Human Rights Commission. The commission had ordered an inquiry into the cases of death due to electrocution.

According to an inquiry report filed by the Tehsildar, Ludhiana South, who had conducted a survey of the Daba area in December 2018, many poles have been erected in a wrong manner. The naked wires passing close to buildings in some places pose threat to human lives, the report reads.

Recommending that responsibility of the PSPCL and the MC officials should be fixed, the report was filed to the SDM, Ludhiana West. It also suggests formation of a team of higher officials of the PSPCL to get the problems related to poles and naked wires fixed. The civic body was recommended to take necessary action against buildings that are constructed in violation of bylaws.

Gabria said: “I received a copy of the Tehsildar’s report from the Punjab State Human Rights Commission recently. However, the PSPCL has done nothing to fix wrongly erected poles and alleviate the threat posed by naked wires passing close to buildings in the area.”

“A broken electricity pole on street number 4 of Kabir Nagar on Daba Road can fall anytime,” he said.

Chief Engineer, PSPCL, Ludhiana, Daljit Inderpal Singh Grewal said: “We will look into the matter and take required measures.”

Deaths due to electrocution

Narinder Kumar had been electrocuted on Daba Road. A nine-year-old girl had been electrocuted at a dance academy in the Shimlapuri area of Daba in July, 2018, when she came in contact with the wires passing close to the dance academy building.

What Tehsildar’s report says

Recommending that responsibility of the PSPCL and the MC officials should be fixed, the report was filed to the SDM, Ludhiana West. It also suggests formation of a team to get the problems related to poles and naked wires fixed.