A disaster waiting to happen

The recent explosion of a transformer in Koramangala has sparked fear among Bangaloreans.Many say that they avoid being under one while walking on the road. 

Installed by the BESCOM, the transformer that burst was located near the BMTC bus depot in Koramangala. 

Since the area is always bustling with people thanks to the depot and several eateries around, two commuters were injured because of this accident. 

Though the BESCOM says that it is looking into the matter, citizens want to see some concrete action being taken by the authorities so that an accident like this does not happen again. 

“The repair and maintenance work is going on and we will be able to complete it before the monsoon hits the City. The transformer explosion in Koramangala was an accident and we are doing our best to see that such things don’t happen again. We also keep asking the citizens to point out the problems that they are facing,” says Jayanthi, the manager of public relations, BESCOM.

Many say that some of the big transformers have wires dangling all around and can prove to be dangerous. 

“Many transformers are in a bad state. They have wires dangling from them and aren’t serviced regularly. The one in Koramangala did not look very dangerous and yet there was an accident. In fact, we could hear a loud noise after the transformer exploded and there was no power for a while in the entire area. The only way to prevent such mishaps is by conducting regular maintenance checks on the transformers,” says Ankit, a resident of Koramangala.

Many point out that the BESCOM should start checking for faulty and old transformers and replace them. 

“With monsoons just around the corner, it is important that the authorities repair the technical snags and check all the transformers for faults so that commuters don’t have to pay a price for their negligence.As ordinary citizens, we wouldn’t know if a transformer is going to burst. 

Also these transformers are mostly placed in busy areas,” says Rohan, a commuter.

It has been more than a year since the BESCOM has replaced most of the old, massive transformers with single pole structures. 

However, the recent accident brings to light the poor maintenance of transformers. Citizens are anxious as monsoons might make things worse. 

They feel that only if the BESCOM starts the maintenance work now, will it able to finish it by monsoon. 

For now, the citizens have to take their safety into their own hands and identify the transformers which have been causing problems and inform the authorities.