END ELECTROCUTION DEATHS

Common Cause has filed a PIL in Delhi High Court to seek directions to end recurring deaths of innocent citizens due to electrocution, especially during the monsoon. The PIL highlights the sorry state of electric poles/ wires and the callous attitude of the distribution companies (discoms). The PIL seeks to safeguard the Constitutional Right to Life and to make the state agencies & discoms accountable.

Our PIL highlights the sorry state of electric poles and wires as well as the callous attitude of the distribution companies (discoms) supposedly bearing the responsibility of their maintenance. It has been emphasized in the petition that since it is the responsibility of the State to ensure safety of its citizens, recurrent fatalities by electrocution, whether due to old and substandard wires, live wire, short circuit caused by over-load or any other negligent act in the supply, distribution or provision of electricity, are attributable to egregious lapses and disregard of safety norms on the part of the respondent authorities.

The petition seeks to safeguard the Right to Life guaranteed under the Constitution and make the officers of the state agencies and discoms accountable for their failure in taking adequate precaution to save lives. It also seeks to impute the responsibility of enforcement of safety regulations specified by CEA as per the Electricity Act 2003 on one civic agency to ensure supervision by single agency and establish single point responsibility which will be in the interest of better compliance with the regulations.

The Hon’ble High Court was pleased to issue notice in the petition on 31 July 2015.

The petition and the relevant orders may be accessed here.