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Editorial

Unsafe live wires cause death

Immediate steps should be taken to remove them


Bangladeshpost
Published : 21 May 2022 07:48 PM

Unsafe high voltage electric wires have turned into death trap for people across the country. The number of fatalities and injuries caused by electrocution is now on the rise. Many deaths have been taking place every year in different places in the country because of live electric wires swaying and hanging from the poles and other sources indiscriminately. 

When the southwest monsoon sets in over the country, we witness sharp rise in deaths by electrocution every year. When cities’ key roads, streets, lanes and by-lanes are flooded with rainwater, many dangerously tilted or hanging live electrical wires or pole partially or totally submerge in water, create an electrical field in the water and claim lives. Storms also tear off electric cables, uproot trees and topple power poles, posing risk of deadly accident anytime.


The authorities concerned must take immediate 

measures to remove risky electric wires and replace 

vulnerable poles


A woman identified as Monira was electrocuted at Baraigram upazila in Natore district on Friday when she came in contact with a live electric wire in her poultry farm next to the house. A couple in Khulna were electrocuted to death and their three-year-old child injured in Khulna’s Dumuria upazila on Wednesday afternoon.

The electric wires are seen hanging indiscriminately while many villagers are lighting up their houses and doing business by arranging power connection from different sources illegally. Besides, electricity is also being supplied to houses, business shops and other purposes, using bamboo poles at many villages under the very nose of the authorities concerned.

Thousands of people pass through the streets, footpaths, village roads and even farmlands throughout the day and night, mostly without noticing the open electric wires. They may come into contact with the live electric wires anytime and meet the tragic end of their lives due to electrocution.

We appreciate the government’s achievement as every house of the country now has access to electricity service.  But if the power distribution lines like electric poles and wires are not safe, the increased trend of fatalities and injuries caused by electrocution will fade the government's achievement away.

Therefore, the authorities concerned must take immediate measures to remove risky electric wires and replace vulnerable poles. Also, overhead cables will have to be replaced with underground cables as early as possible to avert such tragic death.