An electricity lineman died of electrocution while carrying out repair works in Housing Board, Bicholim, in what is believed to be a reverse power surge emanating from a battery-backed inverter unit of a nearby gymnasium. The picture of the lineman stuck to the overhead wires was ghastly and brings forth questions about the safety of line workers especially against the backdrop of several electrocution deaths in recent times.
Electrocution of linemen and line helpers has been a nightmare that has been haunting the Electricity Department for the past few years. Five linesmen have lost their lives in 2023, the highest in recent times. The years 2018 and 2019 saw one case each, while in 2022 there were three line helpers electrocuted.
Interestingly while the department has been facing flak for turning a blind eye to such a grave issue, the chief electrical engineer squarely blames residential and business units for using invertors without adhering to necessary protocols leading to a back surge of current that leaves linemen vulnerable. The burn marks on the hands of the Bicholim victim indicate that there has been a reverse flow of current ruling out miscommunication by the ground staff as initially made out to be.
Agreed that there is a threat perception, but why has the department mum all this while? Why is the department leaving it to the inverter distributor or individuals to install a four-pole switch which prevents reverse surge? Why is there no awareness of this requirement? The chief electrical engineer mentions the need to seek permissions for installing inverters, but the department at no point mentions this to the consumer or alerts them on the portal.
At a time when the department is upgrading transmission, billing and disconnection where department staff go even to the extent of understanding the load on the line, there should have been seriousness in identifying these threats, especially because there are risks to lives. Does it take the electrocution of linemen to understand the gravity of the situation? And how does the department explain its silence all this while
The issue however throws up another very interesting question. What about safety equipment that linemen and line helpers need to use? Why was this lineman in Bicholim not in proper gear? While technically linemen are at fault for ignoring protocols, the practicality is in complete contrast. Linemen have been complaining of not being able to climb up with boots or not being able to effectively handle overhead cable works with heavy gloves on.
While the talk veers around leakages and reverse flow of current, there are other areas where the department also stands exposed. While the Junior Engineer (JE) becomes the immediate target after any electrocution or mishap, the fact that the department is running the show giving multiple charges to JE, in some cases giving them charge of two-three areas, exposes the inherent problems in the system.
If the department is making such compromises, there are bound to be cases of oversight, miscommunication and chaos. If proper protocols have to be followed, the department must have proper manpower in place so that responsibilities are listed.
In a fast-changing and developing world, linemen being electrocuted brings in pain and a lot of shame for ignoring a critical issue. The government has invested heavily in power infrastructure, but expressing helplessness over plugging leakages or trapping the reverse flow of current is not acceptable.
In the current scenario, there is a lot of uncertainty in the lives of those working on the ground, and the deaths of linemen leave a void in their respective families that no compensation can fill.
