BARGARH: A day after a 52-year-old farmer of Sohela block was electrocuted to death in his paddy field, a petition was filed before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday alleging gross negligence on the part of the Electricity department.
Harihar Barik of Bausenmora village in Sohela was applying fertiliser on his paddy crop when when a high-tension overhead electric wire snapped and fell on him on Wednesday noon. The farmer died on the spot after coming in contact with the live wire.
When Harihar did not return home, his family members launched a search and found him lying dead in his paddy field at around 4 pm. While electricity officials rushed to the spot and assured compensation to the bereaved family, police seized the farmer’s body and sent it for postmortem.
As the incident sparked outrage in the region, Kalahandi-based activist Dilip Kumar Dash filed a petition before the NHRC accusing the Electricity department of gross negligence.
“This was a preventable death. Harihar did not die due to fate but because someone failed to maintain the power lines. A farmer should not pay with his life for the Electricity department’s carelessness. I have sought `20 lakh compensation for his family and a criminal case against the officials whose negligence caused this tragedy,” Dash said.
Local farmer organisations have extended support to Harihar’s family while villagers said responsibility should be fixed for the incident so that such mishaps do not recur.