The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has termed the transformer explosion that resulted in the deaths of a father and daughter as an unfortunate one-off incident.
Officials said preliminary investigations have revealed that an 11 kV wire, which had cut off, fell on the transformer at Ullal Main Road. The reaction led to a fire as transformers have oil in them, resulting in the blast, explained BESCOM director (technical) D. Nagarjuna. “There are around 5,000 transformers and regular maintenance measures are being undertaken. This was a one-off, rare incident,” he added.
BESCOM’s transformers have been the topic of discussion for nearly a decade, with the High Court of Karnataka too intervening multiple times. In December 2021, it had directed the power utility to submit an action plan for executing the process of converting transformers existing on footpaths and storm-water drains into a special design transformer centre. The controversy over the risk transformers on pavements pose broke out back in 2013 when Manoj Vasanthrao Patil, 37, who was walking on Church Street along with a friend to reach the M. Chinnaswamy stadium to watch an IPL match, tried to cross a puddle, lost his balance and caught hold of the fence of a transformer, which allegedly caused an electric shock.
Mr. Nagarjuna said over the years, initiatives have been taken up to shift big transformers and free footpaths of them. “Earlier, transformers would be raised on two to three pillars. This has been converted into a single pole and transformers are raised to 10-12ft height. Around 60% of this has been completed and we will finish the rest in half a month. We are also undertaking underground cabling. During the rainy season, with tree branch falls, there were risks involved. Around 75% underground cabling has been completed and it will take six months for the entire project,” he said.
