26 killed in 50 electrocution incidents in Delhi over past year
This accident, however, isn’t the first of its kind. Over the last year, according to data shared by sources in the power department, 50 instances of electrocution were reported in which 26 people, including children, died.
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A discom official said, “We are not authorised to take action against such encroachments... we only issue notices and inform the SDM and authorities concerned.”On July 13, a 34-year-old woman was wading through a waterlogged street in Yamuna Vihar when she collapsed. A live wire that had fallen on the ground electrocuted her to death.
This accident, however, isn’t the first of its kind. Over the last year, according to data shared by sources in the power department, 50 instances of electrocution were reported in which 26 people, including children, died.
One of the major reasons behind these incidents was encroachment and illegal extension of houses around electricity poles. Between 2019 and 2023, Delhi’s three discoms issued over 1.20 lakh notices to residents to take corrective action. North Delhi comes under Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, while South and Trans-Yamuna areas fall under the jurisdiction of BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd respectively.
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) rules state that houses should maintain a distance of 2.5-3.7 metres in height and 1.2-2 metres in width based on voltage levels from an electricity pole.
Officials said in 2018, the Union Ministry of Housing Urban Affairs constituted a special task force, comprising the DDA, MCD, PWD, DJB and other departments concerned, to monitor violations of building by-laws. The discoms upload notices along with photos of violations on the task force’s website. In the last year, officials said they uploaded over 1,000 cases on the website.
This year, a total of 1,673 cases were filed by the discoms before the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) courts against residents violating CEA guidelines and constructing unauthorised buildings on their premises.
Between 2014 and 2023, the SDM courts issued conditional interim orders in 2,898 cases, instructing consumers to remove unauthorised constructions. “Only 16 consumers removed the unauthorised construction against the said interim orders. Many others are in the process of removal or making alternate arrangements,” said an official.
Subsequently, in 2,123 cases, officials said final orders were issued to the MCD for the removal of unauthorised constructions from the sites.
When contacted, an MCD official said: “When such issues are highlighted, the corporation books the property and asks the owner to reconstruct their buildings away from the electricity pole. If the property owner does not follow this, the house is demolished.”
A discom official said, “We are not authorised to take action against such encroachments… we only issue notices and inform the SDM and authorities concerned.”
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