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Electricity Board death traps claim a victim
View(s):With the aim of turning the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) into a profitable venture, the CEB keeps periodically increasing tariffs
Unfortunately however, the CEB makes no effort to protect the public from the vast number death traps in the form of exposed electricity cables and even power distribution boards which dot the city.
A victim of callousness: This innocent worker died after being hit by a charge of electricity and dragged into the open electricity distribution box Pic by Atula Devapriya
Just last week, a female cleaner attached to a local janitorial firm was electrocuted as she swept the road. As she moved to clean an area closer to an open electricity distribution box, she was hit by a charge of electricity. The incident occurred at the Senanayake Junction which connects Narahenpita Road and Horton Place.
Her face that was sucked into the open power distribution box had to be pulled out after power supply was knocked off by an emergency crew that arrived at the scene. She was dead by then. Such was the fate of a woman who sought to clean streets as means of livelihood. The question which now arises is, as to who takes responsibility for this preventable accident and whether she will be paid compensation.
Again, for how long will these death traps continue posing a threat to life? On May 26 The Sunday Times, in its column Photo Focus highlighted the threats posed to city residents as a result of exposed electricity wires and distribution boxes, but to no avail.
Meanwhile the Deputy General Manager CEB for the Colombo region, S.H.N. Somawardhana said the power cabinets were kept open for security reasons at the height of LTTE activity to prevent them from being used for the concealing of explosives and related materials.
Mr. Somawardhana said a new master padlock system would be introduced at the earliest to lock the cabinets in an effort to uplift public safety and to avoid accidents caused by exposed electricity transmission units.
He said that the new padlock system will be more effective than the current lock system for the electricity transmission cabinets. He added CEB employees would be given a task of handling the key to the power cabinets. He added, electricity transmission cabinets in the future would be opened only for maintenance or at the request ofthe defence forces to check the inside for security purposes.
the sunday times of 26 may, 2013
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