Mescom Zone of Death? Enter Malli Layout Street- Kavoor on Your Own Risk
Mangaluru: Don’t get shocked?- When you look at the photos in this report of open-electric transformers, one will surely get a “SHOCK”, when you are in this MESCOM {Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited} Zone of Death? And we want to warn people using the Malli Layout street in Kavoor to be extra cautious while walking by these hazardous open Electric transformers, which pose extreme danger to human beings and stray animals. But the sad part is that even in spite of many deaths, in the lives of Mescom linemen, and also citizens and animals, due to safety negligence, the Mescom authorities still shows no signs of implementing safety guidelines. It’s time that Mescom rectifies all these safety issues at the earliest- What are they waiting for, more deaths?
When a safety hazard is reported to the concerned Mescom officials they offer a bunch of reasons, the prime being sagging wires, bent poles – either due to trees or branches falling during the monsoons, or damage to poles during ploughing or construction work – improper grounding due to stagnating water, illegal construction close to electric lines and illegal irrigation pump sets among others or lack of funds. But there are much more than just these reasons. In some places, you could see the live electric wires very close to the buildings, where chances are that someone sticking his hand out may get electrocuted. Overheating, aging of the material and use of sub-standard quality of electrical gadgets have been the main factors contributing to the increasing electrical fire accidents too. And in this case, by looking at the dilapidated transformers, chances are there could be severe injuries or deaths in the nearest future.
Bringing this safety hazard of Mescom, a resident in the said area, Lancy D’Costa speaking to Team Mangalorean said, ” Regarding the rusty and dilapidated Mescom transformers on stretch of Malli Layout street near Kavoor, I had mailed a complaint letter to the Mescom MD, and also the Electrical engineer-in-charge of Mescom-Kavoor section. It’s been over 14 months now, still no action has been taken by the Mescom department. This stretch of street is daily used by hundreds of residents of the housing layout, school going children and others. Having these open transformers is indeed to lives, both human and animals. And in one of the transformer’s, the Mescom crew have placed an empty plastic soft-drink bottle to prevent from short circuit. Is this the safety standards that Mescom following?”
Last time when Team Mangalorean had published a report on linemen losing their lives while on duty, a clarification from Mescom indicated that employee deaths are attributed to “over confidence” is not creating a ‘safe zone’ while repairing live wires, or “procedural lapses” arising due to pressures of attending numerous complaints during the monsoons. During the rains, the porcelain insulators may develop hairline cracks, and as water seeps in, the insulators conduct electricity. If the lineman, who has to climb up each pole and see the insulators, is not observant, he may end up touching a live insulator,” has also said a Mescom official. A rainy night may see a team of linemen attending four to five calls, adding to the possibility of procedural lapses, he said. It was also learnt that linemen on contract are not considered “employees of Mescom. For the regular linemen they get facilities of rehabilitation from Mescom. For the contract workers, they have to haggle with the contractor for additional funds. That’s not fair-because these contract workers are also human beings and also should be protected. Period!
Majority of accidents occur because there is no sufficient gap between buildings and wires. Narrow roads and slums are more vulnerable. Such accidents could be curtailed by 99 per cent by replacing open conductors with aerial bunched cables. Going through a few blocks in the city, I noticed that 99% of the electrical switchboards/boxes lack doors, some are in dilapidated conditions – chances are that stray cows and dogs, even human beings may come in contact with the loose wires inside these boxes and get electrocuted. During monsoon season, water will get inside these boxes, creating a short circuit, resulting in fire or someone nearby getting hurt.
