By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 6 Dec: In the past one year, several cases of electric current leaks have come to light in the state resulting in casualties even of wildlife. Several under construction and operating Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) have been found to be operating in dangerous neglect of norms and this has resulted in casualties. The electrical systems in the STPs are threatening not only the humans but also the wild animals. In a recent incident, a bear and her cub died in one STP because of electric shock due to current leakage. Waking up several days after this incident, the forest department has finally issued fresh guidelines to address this issue.
It may be recalled that, in Gopeshwar, Chamoli district, a 6-year-old female bear and her 11-month-old cub were electrocuted by a transformer installed at a sewage treatment plant built under the Namami Gange scheme. The forest department officials had then raised concerns about the role of the sewage treatment plant officials and lodged complaints regarding the incident. It has been claimed by the sources that the transformers are installed in many such plants without adhering to safety norms. Open live wires and cables are also seen lying around the transformers.
Finally, the forest headquarters has issued guidelines to prevent loss of wildlife due to this kind of negligence by the projects operating in the state. The guidelines issued by the wildlife office at the Uttarakhand Forest Headquarters include provision for monthly inspections. Under this, officials have been mandated to inspect areas around the electric lines and cables every month and coordinate with the electricity or the departments related to repair any damaged power lines. In addition, the use of high voltage wires to deter wildlife in fields, villages, or localities has also been strictly prohibited to protect the wildlife from such dangers.
The forest department has also mandated adoption of adequate security measures around transformers and various installations so that wild animals are not able to gain entry into dangerous locations around the transformers. The forest department has also asked its officials to make sincere efforts to raise public awareness about the dangers of using high voltage wires for deterring wildlife.
In addition, the forest department has also ordered checks on the circuit breaker systems at sub-stations to ensure they are functioning correctly. These guidelines have been issued amid concerns that other wildlife, including elephants and wild boars, have also died in similar incidents.
In Chamoli alone, 16 people had died in 2023 due to electrocution linked to negligence at the Namami Gange STP. Despite previous safety guidelines issued for sewage treatment plants, negligence of the electricity department employees remains a concern. The forest department is now taking a proactive stance to prevent further wildlife deaths due to electric shocks.
