WARANGAL: Farmers erecting electric fencing to protect their crops from wild animals like wild boar and monkeys are themselves becoming victims of electrocution in erstwhile Warangal district. A series of such electrocution incidents have been reported in the region over the past four months.
In the latest incident, Palla Ram Reddy (75), a resident of Nallella village in Seerole mandal of Mahabubabad district, died of electrocution on Saturday night. He had installed electric wires around his field to protect his crops from monkeys. But he died when he accidentally came into contact with the wire.
On October 25, Bhukya Mangamma (38), a tenant farmer from Gudithanda in Khanapuram mandal of Warangal district, died of electrocution. During the early hours, she had been trying to put on the water motor when she suffered an electric shock. Mangamma had taken 2.5 acres of land on lease to support her family but lost her life.
Similarly, Banothu Mahender (33) from Gurrappathanda in Maripeda mandal of Mahabubabad district, died in an electrical accident on October 3. His motor stopped working due to low voltage. As his crop had been drying up, he attempted to connect the motor to another transformer. He got electrocuted and died on the spot. He leaves behind wife and two young children.
In September, Bhukya Srinu of Enugalluthanda in Narsampet mandal died of electrocution while attempting to install a fuse at a transformer.
Another tragedy occurred on September 11 at Peruru in Wazeedu mandal of Mulugu district. Agricultural workers Kandi Sammaiah and Thumma Abhishek died of electrocution while laying mulch sheets around chilli plants in a field.
The service wire to the motor came into contact with the barbed wire fence, leading to the tragedy.
Earlier, on August 4, Porla Veeraiah (62) of Devunagar in Mallampalli mandal of Mulugu district died after accidentally touching a snapped electric wire while going to irrigate his field.
These deaths indicate that the reasons for electrocutions include illegal electric fences, low-voltage problems, motor repairs, fuse installation at transformers, and snapped wires.
Questions are being raised about field-level monitoring during agricultural power supply hours, safety standards at electrical lines, service wires, starter boxes, and transformers. Essentially, farmers are forced to themselves deal with restoration of power supply after connectivity is lost due to low-voltage problems.
TGNPDCL chairman and managing director Karnati Varun Reddy advised farmers to remain cautious around electrical wires in their fields. He urged them to watch out for snapped wires, leaning poles and dangerously hanging cables while visiting their fields.
Varun Reddy asked farmers to report electrical problems to toll-free number 1912, rather than themselves dealing with the issue. He assured that staff would respond to them promptly.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
