THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Thiruvananthapuram Kazhakoottam native S Vignan, 62, is on the verge of suicide as he has been unable to sell his house to meet the medical expenses of his wife Rejani for liver fibrosis. The villain: KSEB’s feeder line belonging to 110 KV substation from Kazhakoottam - Technopark - TERLS - VSSC - Veli Industrial Estate, which runs above the house. The KSEB has informed Vignan if the feeder line were to be raised 15 feet as per his request, 2 EHT Towers would have to be removed. However, this will cost Rs 90 lakh, which has to be borne by Vignan.
Vignan, who had studied only till Class V, has a four-cent land with a 900 sq ft home, ‘Ashwathy Bhavan’ at Nila Nagar in Kazhakoottam, which was constructed two decades ago. Vignan used to work as a daily wage labourer. But during the last couple of months, Vignan’s poor health due to acute asthma and mental depression, have confined him to the four walls of his home. His wife is undergoing treatment at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital and he needs close to Rs 3,000 per month as treatment costs. This led the couple to put up their house for sale. That’s when they realised that buyers were not interested in buying it due to the overhead 110 KV line. Vignan told TNIE that he wanted to give his wife good medical treatment which required money.
“Selling the house is the only option before us. Buyers are not interested in buying it due to the overhead electrical line. I approached the KSEB officials to help us but to no avail. Now, suicide is the last resort before us as both of us are in poor health,” said Vignan.
This particular electrical line, 110 KV substation from Kazhakootam - Technopark - TERLS - VSSC - Veli Industrial Estate, dates back 20 years. The KSEB claimed that it had complied with all the guidelines laid down by the Central Electrical Authority while constructing the feeder line with the lowest hanging line situated at a distance of 4.6 metres from the building (Vignan’s house). “In fact the KSEB has ensured a 6 metre distance from Vignan’s home to the lowest part of the feeder line. There was a provision to provide compensation if there is land value depreciation which would have been possible from three-years of the construction of the 110 KV substation. If this has to be sanctioned, it requires permission from the top echelons of power. Regarding increasing the height of the power line, 2 EHTs have to be shifted which would incur a cost of `90 lakh,” said a senior KSEB official.
