Dangling wires! Bescom apathy shocking

Bengaluru: The recent death of a seven-year-old girl after coming in contact with a live wire dangling from a streetlight pole in Kalasipalya and the electrocution of five youngsters while returning home in a tractor after Ganesha immersion on the city outskirts, have once again brought to focus the hazards posed by such unsafe wires and transformers in the city.

For the residents of BTM Layout open transformers and dangling wires are a disaster waiting to happen and the authorities seem to have learnt no lessons from recent tragic incidents.

For the motorists and pedestrians, open transformer boxes and dangling wires are a daily hazard they are exposed to. During rush hour traffic the motorists are often forced to wait near these unsafe transformers and wires. The plight of the pedestrians is no better - Rajiv Kumar, a resident of BTM Layout said, “The road adjacent to Madiwala Lake is quite narrow and the electric wires are hanging dangerously. Besides, all the transformers are on the footpath and that leaves hardly any space for pedestrians to walk. These wires often snap from transformers and remain on footpath for a long time, so we need to be very careful while walking and avoid stepping on them, as you never know, they might be live.”Another resident

Rohit Sarma questions, “Are we waiting for another electrocution case to happen? When will the authorities wake up?”

Deaths due to electrocution constitute an important part of unnatural deaths. According to a 10-year long study, from January 2000 to December 2009, conducted by the Department of Forensic Medicine, M.S. Ramaiah Medical College revealed that a total of 76 cases of electrocution were identified in 10 years. The study further revealed that the highest incidence was seen among 20-29 age group (44.7%).