Meerut: Snapping of overhead electricity cables is a routine phenomenon in the region which has claimed several lives in the recent past. However, on Thursday, the convoy of Bulandshahr district magistrate had a narrow escape after a high-tension wire fell on the road just ahead of them. Speaking to TOI, DM Arun Kumar Jha said, “The cars stopped immediately after witnessing the sparking. I walked down to the collectorate and got inside from a different gate. Nothing untoward happened. In fact, the problem was rectified almost immediately.”Almost a dozen similar incidents have occurred throughout western UP in the recent past. For instance, three persons, including two brothers, died in Bijnor on May 30 when high voltage wire fell on them. On Wednesday, a woman sustained severe burns in Chapar area of Muzaffarnagar when an overhead cable fell on her.Technical director, Paschinanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd. (PVVNL), Raj Kumar said, “The overhead cables that are there in the cities are generally low tension(440volt) and not HT wires. These cables have a load bearing capacity of 200 amperes on which we never put more than 80% of sanctioned load. But consumers often run high capacity gadgets without getting sanction for extra load. On the contrary, we run our cables on sanctioned load. As a result these wires meant for 200 amperes are working on much higher load making it difficult to sustain higher amperage and they burn out. This is one of the things that we identify when we go for raids in individual establishments during our drive these days.”Consumers on the other hand level serious charges against PVVNL for not changing count out cables that result in accidents.In Bijnor village, Shekhar Kumar's considerable portion of standing wheat crop was destroyed when an overhead cable fell on the crop and burned it. “All this happened because of dilapidated condition of overhead cables that keep falling every now and then. Our repeated requests to change them have little result on ground.”

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