Owais Ayoub
Srinagar 26 December (KNB): Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Departments (JKPDD) workers’ tragic deaths often take place due to the electrocution, when the workers (especially daily-wagers) are repairing high tension wires and low tension wires, without wearing proper equipment and safety gears.
The deaths of PDD workers are not unheard of in Kashmir valley and occur almost every year. In the current year, a PDD worker died after the electric shock in Srinagar’s Nishat area, and another lost his life in North Kashmir’s Sopore after being electrocuted.
According to one of the workers, the hapless deaths of daily-wager workers occur because of the lack of equipment like — helmets, belts, glows and others.
“The workers who ascend to the tall electric poles fall victim to electrocution because of the dearth of proper life-saving gear,” the worker said.
He further said, “There is not enough life-saving gear being provided from the department. At one division we have equipment for only ten workers, but the division’s worker capacity overrides the given meagre facilities from the department. Whereas it is right of a worker who has to deal with the most perilous job of mending wires, etc. to be provided with proper life-saving gear.”
However, there are also the allegations that daily-wage workers, who usually succumb to electrocution, are only for digging the surface for electric pole installing and carrying of portable stairs and not to repair the wires which is the job of a lineman.
While talking to the Chief Engineer KPDCL, Ajaz Ahmad Dar, he said that every life is important for them, but electrocution incidents occur because the workers on the ground are not following the given SOPs.
When questioned about not providing enough life-saving gear to the workers, he responded that the proper gear is being provided to all workers and the funds for the safety gears is properly utilized.
“If there is no proper life-saving gear being provided from any division I will file a report on the issue and take action against it,” he said. (KNB)