PANAJI
Chief Electrical Engineer, Stephen Fernandes, has yet again issued a warning of “criminal prosecution” to consumers employing generators and inverters without adhering to the prescribed safety procedures.
In a public notice, Fernandes has warned of immediate disconnection and further criminal prosecution against such consumers who install generating units without following safety regulations.
The notice cites regulations which mandate that consumers who employ generators and inverters on their premises seek prior permission from the department and take the necessary safety measures.
Even consumers producing electricity from renewable sources are required to adhere to these mandatory regulations, the notice states.
The notice also points out that several consumers are bypassing these safety protocols, which endangers the department’s officials and the public.
It notes that a recent fatal accident was attributed to the same, reportedly referring to the death by electrocution of a staffer in Bicholim in 2024, blamed on backfed energy shot back into the neutral conductor from an inverter of a nearby business establishment.
The notice mandates that consumers ensure proper earthing and installation of adequate safety devices, besides obtaining the necessary approvals before connecting any power-generating units to their premises.
“Failure to comply will invite disconnection and criminal prosecution for risking departmental property and lives,” the notice warns.
In April 2024, Electricity Department lineman Manoj Zambaulikar died of electrocution in Bicholim while working on a transmission line, despite a shutdown having been arranged.
Zambaulikar’s electrocution was explained as being caused by ‘backfed’ power which reverse-transmitted from an inverter of the nearby establishment ‘Fitness Factory’.
