From 2015-2016 to 2023-2024, an average of 109.5 people died annually in electrical accidents in Bescom jurisdiction.
(PHOTO FOR REPRESENTATION)
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: In just six months last year, electrical accidents claimed as many as 118 lives across eight districts under Bescom — more than the average annual fatalities recorded over the previous decade.
This alarming statistic was submitted by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) as part of its tariff revision proposal.
However, Bescom officials insist that the trend is not “alarming” and blame it on public negligence.
From 2015-2016 to 2023-2024, an average of 109.5 people died annually in electrical accidents in Bescom jurisdiction, which comprises Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Davangere, Tumakuru, Ramanagar, Chikkaballapur Chitradurga and Kolar districts.
That average was surpassed in just six months (April to October) in 2024. During the same period, 61 animal deaths were also reported due to electrical accidents.
While final figures for 2024-25 are yet to be released, a well-placed source in Bescom indicated that total deaths had already crossed 150 by February, overtaking the decadal record of 136 in 2018-2019.
Many Bengalureans have raised concerns about the city’s poor electrical infrastructure.
“It’s common to see snapped cables hanging or lying on footpaths,” said Payal Yadav, a resident of Suddaguntepalya. “It’s scary to walk—one wrong step and it could be fatal.”
In 2023, an electricity pole on SG Palya Main Road collapsed after a hanging optical fibre cable came into contact with a moving water tanker. A university student heading to class suffered severe burn injuries.
Bescom claims to have rectified 39,024 hazardous spots between April and September 2024 but 17,463 still remain. Officials say they are working to improve electrical infrastructure.
While Bescom officials maintain that most deaths occurred in rural areas, they acknowledge that hanging live wires continue to pose a problem. However, they claim that the issue of dangling OFCs has largely been addressed.
“Farmers often engage in unauthorised electrical work to draw electricity or use illegal power sources. In such cases, deaths occur because safety measures are ignored,” a senior Bescom official told DH.
The official added that several electrocutions were caused by individuals trying to illegally draw electricity by hooking wires.
Fatalities have also occurred during infrastructure or development works carried out by other government agencies such as the BBMP, the BDA and the BWSSB. Even Bescom employees have lost their lives while on duty, the official said.
“Sometimes, our own staff bypass safety protocols during fieldwork due to overconfidence. When complaints about minor issues come in, they tend to fix them hastily, neglecting precautionary measures,” the official explained.
Another official highlighted that electrical accidents spike in rural areas during the rainy season, with last year’s fatalities occurring primarily between August and October.
While officials blame public negligence for most deaths last year, data suggests otherwise. Twenty-four accidents occurred from accidental contact with live wires, seven were caused by lack of maintenance, nine due to lack of supervision, 10 due to snapped conductors and 24 for other reasons — indicating negligence by Bescom.
The KERC flagged similar concerns, noting that snapping of low-tension wires, inadequate clearances, lack of supervision and poor maintenance are major contributors to electrical accidents — factors that point towards negligence by Escoms.
The KERC has directed Escoms to take stringent measures to reduce electrical accidents and prevent further loss of life.