The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : BESCOM wakes up to illegal cables

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 14, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

BESCOM wakes up to illegal cables

By Our Staff Reporter

A CRY FOR ACTION: Residents staging a protest over seven-year-old Anish's death, at Indiranagar in Bangalore on Tuesday. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

BANGALORE, JULY 13. A day after seven-year-old Anish was electrocuted in Indiranagar 2nd Stage, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) announced an intensive drive to remove all cables illegally hooked on to its poles.

The Managing Director of BESCOM, Bharat Lal Meena, said the boy's death was a "sad and tragic event" but maintained the company was not at fault. Anish died when he came in contact with a live wire connected to an illegally hooked television cable. Mr. Meena said BESCOM would begin a drive to remove all such cables.

But, in December 2002, BESCOM said that it had "audited and surveyed" over 19,000 "dangerous installations" in the city after the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission directed it to do so. At the time, the company had said it spent Rs. 1.4 crore to "attend" to 7,100 of these installations.

So, why didn't BESCOM notice such illegally connected cables during that drive? Mr. Meena said the company had now attended to 20,000 dangerous installations. Asked how television cables had been strung on to BESCOM poles in the first place, Mr. Meena said: "Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) had (before electricity supply companies were formed) permitted some agencies to string their cables on its poles. Permission was given for some areas, but these companies strung cables in other areas too."

Suspended: Two junior engineers, Ramanujappa and Sampath Kumar, of BESCOM's Indiranagar Division, were placed under suspension on Tuesday on charges of dereliction of duty.

Compensation: Would BESCOM pay compensation to Anish's family? Mr. Meena said it would pay Rs. 50,000. But when contacted, KERC officials maintained that BESCOM would have to pay Rs. 1 lakh "in cases it is found to be negligent."

Report soon: Although Mr. Meena denied his company was at fault in Anish's electrocution, the office of the Chief Electrical Inspector to the Government differed. The acting chief of the department, Basavaraj, told The Hindu on Tuesday that officials from the inspectorate had been to the spot. While a final report would take a day or two to be ready, "BESCOM is at fault here," he stated. BESCOM should have taken care of illegally connected cables, he pointed out.

Other violations: It is not only television cables that are illegally hooked on to power poles, there have been many instances of violation of building bylaws and electrical clearance guidelines. Last year, an 11-year-old boy was electrocuted when he touched a high-tension line. The boy had been standing on the terrace of a building that did not adhere to BESCOM's electrical clearance guidelines.

At the time, BESCOM officials blamed the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike for allowing the owner to build the structure.

Protest: On Tuesday, residents of Indiranagar held a mini protest over Anish's tragic death. The residents assembled at the spot where the boy was electrocuted.

One woman had Anish's photograph with her.

The group blamed BESCOM for the boy's death and demanded that action be taken against the company for its deficient service.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section

BESCOM wakes up to illegal cables

Six-year-old girl dies after falling into sump

Three boys from Bangalore to attend UN meet

Bangalore Bio attracted 50,000 visitors

Two arrested, foreign currencies seized

Wall collapses, boy buried alive

Rates to be revised

Around the City

In Bangalore Today