Hyderabad: The Telangana State Human Rights Commission (TSHRC) has taken a suo motu cognizance of a news report published in vernacular news daily on April 21 highlighting repeated electrocution deaths allegedly due to negligence by the Electricity department, particularly Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL).
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the TSHRC said the report mentioned 69 electrocution deaths in the past year, including recent incidents in Shamshabad and Kondurg mandals, raising concerns over dangerous live wires, lack of transformer fencing, untrained maintenance staff, and lack of compensation to victims.
The report alleged gross negligence on the part of the Electricity department, particularly TSSPDCL in the maintenance of overhead electric lines. It states that nearly 69 persons died in electrocution incidents in the previous year alone, most of them during the monsoon season.
Two recent fatalities of K. Chetan Reddy (26) of Ibrahimpatnam, due to electrocution in Shamshabad Mandal and Ashok Reddy (35) in Kondurg Mandal were specifically mentioned. The report further highlighted the critical issues including presence of live high-tension wires dangerously passing over residential areas in several parts of Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, and Medak districts, posing a grave risk to human life apart from lack of fencing around transformers, endangering pedestrians, residents, and animals alike.
The Commission further stated that deployment of untrained or inexperienced private personnel for electrical maintenance tasks were leading to repeated fatal incidents apart from lack of compensation to victims’ families and absence of accountability among officials concerned.
The Commission was of the considered view that the allegations, if true, raise serious concerns relating to the right to life and safety under Article 21 of the Constitution, and fall within the purview of the Commission under Section 12(a) of the Protection of Human Rights Act-1993, read with Regulation 25 AP State Human Rights Commission (Procedure) Regulations, 2012.
Accordingly, the Commission called for detailed reports from the Chairman and Managing Director of TGSPDCL and from all district Collectors mentioning the number of electrocution-related deaths in the past two years in addition to preventive and safety measures currently in place.
The nature of staff employed for electrical maintenance, compensation mechanisms for victims or their families and action taken, if any, against negligent personnel must also be included. The Commission asked to submit the reports to it on or before the first week of June 2025.
