RAWALPINDI - Hanging electrical wires from poles and electric meters installed openly with walls in streets and roads are posing a great threat to the lives of residents of Adyala Road.
So far the hanging electricity wires have claimed two precious human lives, besides injuring a lineman of WAPDA who was hospitalised in critical condition after he received severe electric shocks while repairing a meter in a house in Munawar Colony, a few yards away from the office of sub-divisional officer (SDO) WAPDA, Adyala sector, it was learnt here on Wednesday.
The residents, traders and school going children and their parents complained that despite repeated requests, the authorities concerned were not taking the matter seriously and were putting human lives in great risk. They said that at many places in the town, the meters and wires of high potency were hanging at height of only 5 to 6 feet and could kill a person, while WAPDA officials were making no efforts to secure human lives. The areas where the electric wires are close to the ground and electric meters are hanging openly with poles and walls include Mumtaz Market, Munawar Colony, Dhama Syedan, Chungi Number 20, Dhama Morr, Ali Town, Hill View Lane, Jarahi, Kehkashan Colony, Dhoke Haji Niaz Ali and adjoining areas, they added.
On August 25, 2014, a 40-year-old key maker Naveed Lodhi electrocuted to death owing to hanging meters with poles during heavy rain. A few days back, Ahmed Ikram, a lineman of WAPDA, was rushed to hospital after he received severe electric shocks from a wet meter located at Munwar Colony.
Similarly, a 17-year-old young boy Hamza Yousaf was also died of electric shock received from a hanging electric wire with a pole fixed in Mumtaz Market. Muhammad Yousaf, father of the deceased, had also lodged a complaint with SDO but no action was taken.
Chaudhry Nauman, a local, said that WADPA officials did not have proper infrastructure to supply electricity in safe manner. He said that hanging meters in public places or in markets were posing great threat threats to lives of the residents. SDO Dost Muhammad, when approached, said that meters were installed on poles and with walls on the directions of higher authorities. When told about two deaths caused by electric shocks, the SDO expressed his unawareness about the incidents and said, "I don't know what happened because I was performing Umrah in KSA." He asked this scribe to come to Adyala Road and pinpoint the faulty sites then he (SDO) would order removal of such hanging meters.