MSEDCL fails to prevent electrocution, yet again
In the latest incident Ankur Bansode, 15, a resident of Ganeshnagar, had to be admitted to Sassoon Hospital with severe burn injuries
PUNE: A boy, 15, suffering 40% burn injuries due to electric current at Wadgaon Sheri Monday afternoon has once again brought to the fore the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited’s (MSEDCL’s) failure at preventing incidents of electrocution.
In the latest incident which occurred Monday afternoon near the Anand Park bus stop at Wadgaon Sheri, Ankur Khandu Bansode, 15, a resident of Ganeshnagar, had to be admitted to Sassoon Hospital with severe burn injuries on his back and legs. It may be noted that this is the third such incident in the last four months with electrocution having claimed at least two lives thus far.
In February this year, a multi-axle truck driver, 38, was electrocuted after coming into contact with an electric feeder of MSEDCL in 9 BRD (Base Repair Depot) area on Ahmednagar Road. Earlier in January 2023, Bharati Vidyapeeth police booked an assistant engineer from the MSEDCL Katraj division office for negligence in connection with the death of a boy, 14, due to electrocution.
In the Monday incident, Advocate Satish Mane, a resident who helped Ankur Bansode, said, “The DP (distribution panel) of MSEDCL is left open near the Anand Park bus stop. A boy was standing near this DP and got an electric shock. Had the DP been covered with a fence or wall, the incident would not have occurred. It is complete negligence on the part of the MSEDCL. “
{{/usCountry}}In the Monday incident, Advocate Satish Mane, a resident who helped Ankur Bansode, said, “The DP (distribution panel) of MSEDCL is left open near the Anand Park bus stop. A boy was standing near this DP and got an electric shock. Had the DP been covered with a fence or wall, the incident would not have occurred. It is complete negligence on the part of the MSEDCL. “
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Dalvi, another Wadgaon Sheri resident, said, “The DP is located near the bus stop and it is very dangerous that it is open. Posters, banners and flexes are also placed on the stand and near the DP. I don’t know whom to pin the blame on but it is very clear that the MSEDCL officials should not have left the DP open.”
{{/usCountry}}Rahul Dalvi, another Wadgaon Sheri resident, said, “The DP is located near the bus stop and it is very dangerous that it is open. Posters, banners and flexes are also placed on the stand and near the DP. I don’t know whom to pin the blame on but it is very clear that the MSEDCL officials should not have left the DP open.”
{{/usCountry}}Prakash Dhotre and Dyanand Kamble, both residents of the Anand Park area, said, “Anand Park is the last bus stop for PMPML buses. It is one of the busiest chowks. It is the duty of the people to take precautionary measures but the same is difficult in busy areas where DPs or electric cables are left open. Prima facie, the MSEDCL is responsible for the incident.”
Whereas civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “In such incidents, there are three agencies involved- the police, MSEDCL and the electrical inspector from the public works department (PWD). The electrical inspector is an independent entity who works under the PWD. He has to visit the spot, inspect, inquire and file a police report. However, electrical inspectors do not bother to handover the reports to the police. The police too do not show any interest in collecting the reports and filing cases against the concerned MSEDCL officials whether it is an attempt to murder (in case of an injury) or causing death due to negligence under section 304.”
“The police close the cases mentioning accidental death in the summary reports. Therefore, MSEDCL officials don’t care about such incidents. Actually, there should be pressure put on the MSEDCL officials by filing cases against the concerned person/s. However, that is not happening and history keeps repeating itself,” Velankar said.
When contacted, Rajendra Pawar, chief engineer of MSEDCL Pune Circle, said, “When incidents of electrocution occur, people blame the MSEDCL for negligence. But in most of these incidents, the investigations reveal the victims to be at fault. We will take action against the MSEDCL officials if they are found guilty. But such cases are very few. In the Wadgaon Sheri case, the report is yet to come. So, I cannot comment on who is responsible for the incident. The electrical inspector of the PWD will conduct an inquiry and file a report. Only after that will I be able to tell you who is responsible.”
“Now and then, we issue advisories about electrocution. We conduct awareness programmes and training camps and circulate pamphlets which mention the dos and don’ts. Besides that, we regularly check the DPs and earthing and carry out trimming with the permission of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). We have given standing instructions to all our staff to carry out inspections in their respective areas on a regular basis. If a person registers a complaint about loose cables, hanging wires, open DPs and an accident takes place after that, we take strict action against the concerned officials,” Pawar said.
“In the pre-monsoon schedule, we carry out inspections in the months of April and May in which we perform 60 to 70 different activities such as ground patrolling, replacing old and damaged wires, replacing distribution boxes, changing insulators, trimming etc. At present, due to unseasonal rains, we are facing problems,” Pawar said.