Haphazard Cables Cause Havoc and Fire Breakouts
Pathetic state of electrical transformers, faulty equipments, haphazard cables are in bad condition in many sectors and wreak havoc with electrical appliances.
Frequent short circuits can also be a cause of fire breakouts. Minor fire breakouts have taken place but what if this fire takes an ugly shape? How ready are we to face such an emergency and what measures can be taken to prevent such incidents? There is an ugly mess of wires and cables in the whole Sector – a nuisance that needs to be rectified; but what could have been the possible cause of the fire? Unfortunately, fire breakouts in transformers and electric poles are not uncommon in Noida, which puts back to the question -what is wrong with our electrical equipment and infrastructure.
Power outages or voltage fluctuations are also not uncommon due to break down of some electrical component in our Sector but the possibility of a break out of the fire is a major issue that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. There are a few points to be pondered here. First, the electricity department needs to take cognisance of the faulty or old equipment and replace these before something unfortunate happens. The department, in association with the RWA, can initiate workshops/ sessions to make people aware and ready in case of a fire emergency. Taking the cue from Noida Authority which has been conducting workshops on garbage segregation, the electricity department can also conduct a few sessions on emergency drills. For example, pouring water in case of electric fires can be lethal – is not a commonly known fact.
In addition to it, the transformers in our Sector are mostly covered with shrubs and bushes which grow wild during the rainy season. While appreciation of greenery by government agencies is good but trimming and cleaning up of bushes near the transformers can prevent short circuits or power cuts due to fault arising from the transformers. A concrete base for the transformers can reduce the risk of short-circuiting in rains. The RWA and the Authority take up trimming of the trees and weeding and pruning in the Sector but it seems that areas around the transformers do not come under any Authority! This is like a ‘no man’s land’ and the foliage extends out onto the road.
The electricity department which is billing people and increases tariffs at will has to own some responsibility towards the safety of the people.
