KERC takes Escoms to task following death of woman by electrocution in Bengaluru

Following the death of a woman and her child of electrocution at Kadugodi, an expert committee had suggested the installation of earth guard stirrups (components that provide earthing to conductors) near electrical poles.
| Photo Credit: K Murali Kumar

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) took electricity supply companies (escoms) in the State to task for their negligence resulting in electrical accidents. 

This follows the death of 55-year-old Manjamma by electrocution on October 7 near Tavarekere in Bengaluru. The death highlighted the lack of maintenance of electrical infrastructure by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom). The woman died after coming in contact with a snapped conductor the same way that a 23-year-old woman and her baby died in November 2023 near Kadugodi.

“They give the least priority to electrical accidents. It is not just the deaths of humans, but also animals and crops, which are bearing the brunt. It is a fact that there is a lack of maintenance of infrastructure and safety measures on the part of escoms,” said P. Ravikumar, Chairman, KERC. 

“We cannot take human lives so lightly. We have to take action against irresponsible officers. They cannot wash their hands off saying it was a technical fault. We will take strict action even in this case.”

The conductor at Tavarekere had snapped after the pinhole in the insulator got punctured. 

Absence of stirrup 

Following the accident at Kadugodi, an expert committee had given a report with recommendations to prevent electrical accidents. It had suggested the installation of earth guard stirrups (components that provide earthing to conductors) near electrical poles.  

“The stirrup is usually around a meter away from the electric pole. When the conductor snaps, it will fall on the stirrup, and it helps in earthing. After that, even if the conductor falls on a concrete surface, it will trip, and the flow will be isolated. In the absence of a stirrup, if a conductor falls on concrete surface, it will not trip,” said a member of the expert committee. 

But such a stirrup was not found at the accident site in Tavarekere.

“As this was an old conductor, we had not installed stirrups. We have been installing them wherever we are setting up new infrastructure,” said a senior official from Bescom.  

Although the Board of Bescom has adopted the report of the expert committee and its recommendations, there is no clarity about which of the recommendations have been implemented.

“Who gave officials the power to decide that stirrups should not be installed for old infrastructure,” the member of the expert committee asked.

Train and sensitise officers

Mr. Ravikumar said that all the managing directors of Escoms have been instructed to give clear instructions about electrical safety to their staff and also sensitise them about electrical accidents, after the recent deaths.  

“The Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) has devised a new module for electrical safety. We have asked all Escoms to train their officers in this module,” he said.