Hanging power lines carry danger over classroom

Officials continue to ignore safety of students of govt high school

The fear of problems of electricity lines passing through the campus has led the school development and management committee members and staff members to request the Bescom to deal with connections.

The Bescom officials, however, are yet to take any action in this direction. The Government High School at Anepura of Kondashettyhalli Gram Panchayat has electricity lines passing right next to and above its classrooms. There is a constant danger of curious schoolchildren attempting to touch the electricity wires that are barely a few feet away, outside the windows.

A fear of mishap
This has given rise to great fear of mishap in the minds of not just parents of the schoolchildren, but also the school development and management committee and staff members.

Ironically, the local residents are in similar danger – as the lines pass very close to other buildings too – and in similar state of fear of mind.

The stand-in head teacher of the government high school, Sujatha, who spoke to Deccan Herald, reminded of the Supreme Court order not to let any electricity line pass above a school building.

“The Bescom officials, however, have installed electricity poles adjacent to our school building, behind the classrooms. The top of the pole has broken and the Bescom has taken a temporary move of holding it up using a separate pole. The wires pass next to the classrooms and on the playground at an arm’s distance. The children are in danger of coming in contact with the electricity wires as they play. They might also, for instance, go up the roof of the school building to get a plaything and touch the wire,” explained the head teacher.

Speaking further on the troubles of the negligence by Bescom officials, Sujatha said, “There is additional danger during rain, as the wires would come in contact with the rainwater and waste collected on the roofs. The campus has Ashoka an silver oak trees all over. The current wires pass in-between the trees. If the children playing on the campus touch these trees, they might get an electric shock. In some other places, there is a lot of gap between the electricity poles. The wires are hanging very low and might fall off the poles very soon.”

In reference to the complaints given to Bescom the head teacher demanded that the officials should shift the electricity poles away from the school campus and building. “The problems faced by not just our school, but people in similar situations, have been brought to the notice of the Bescom officials, but we have failed to draw any response from them,” she rued, adding, “We, therefore, request the elected representatives and the concerned officials to pay attention to the dangers faced by the schoolchildren. The assistant executive engineer of the Bescom is also look into the matter at the earliest.”