BENGALURU: After a spate of electrocution cases in the city, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd. (BESCOM) took a survey of hazardous under-construction buildings, which are being built right under EHT lines (Extra High Tension). In all, 104 such buildings lost temporary power connections in a span of two days.“BESCOM officials surveyed the entire city for two days. These buildings are being built too close to KPTCL’s lines which are 66KV. We found 104 such buildings, 28 of which were disconnected on Wednesday and 76 on Thursday,” said BESCOM MD C Shikha.
The highest number of such hazardous buildings were found in the West circle, with 43 disconnections in RR Nagar, Kengeri and Rajajinagar divisions. Thirty buildings were disconnected in North circle including Malleswaram, Hebbal, Peenya and Jalahalli divisions; 24 in East circle including Indiranagar, Shivajinagar, Vidhan Soudha and Whitefield divisions, and seven in South Circle including Jayanagar, HSR and Koramangala divisions.
“A joint survey will be undertaken for the next ten days along with officials from Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for existing buildings which are hazardous, as they are built too close to the power lines. BBMP will have to take appropriate action, which may include demolition. In several of these buildings in the city, though permissions are taken for building one floor, several more are built by the owners. Children bear the brunt of this,” she added.
These authorities will put a placard with warning signs. As per the rules, no construction can be done under EHT lines.
Shikha said, “Once they get the survey report, action will be taken accordingly.’’ This apart, they are also conducting an awareness campaign to sensitise the public. “We are going to schools to conduct competitions for children,’’ she said, adding that BESCOM will also involve electric contractors in the campaign.