Thirty two year old Ishfaq Ahmad, a lineman in Power Development Department ( PDD), died due to electrocution, falling from an electric pole during official duty at Fateh Kadal in Srinagar.
Reports said he was doing some repair work when the incident occurred. A precious human life was lost in the tragic incident, which has shattered the bereaved family.
An internal inquiry has been ordered and an FIR also registered. This is not the first incident when an employee or a daily wager working with power development department has died due to electrocution. Such tragic incidents keep on occurring, and lives are lost.
There should be an end to such mishaps and that is possible only when all the standard operating procedures (SOPs) are followed. Reports say that the SOPs are not strictly adhered to. The SOPs have to be followed in letter and spirit if the lives of the ground staff of PDD have to be protected.
An internal inquiry and other investigations will reveal what exactly went wrong which led to the death of Ishfaq Ahmad. The ground staff and their immediate senior officers should not work casually. They must ensure their own safety and the safety of their other colleagues.
Seriousness is very much needed in their approach. The department must also provide all the necessary safety gears to the employees and other workers, while doing repairs or other such works.
Protective gears are as important as other SOPs. Power supply must be cut before the repair work starts and restored only after the work is completed.
Reports say that sometimes due to lack of coordination among the employees, power supply is suddenly restored when the PDD men are at work and this puts their lives to risk.
Doing the repair work must not be a one man job but other employees too need to get involved so that there is proper coordination and support system. Proper precautions and care is very much needed. Any carelessness is bound to have disastrous consequences.
PDD must hold regular interactions with the ground staff and educate them further regarding sticking to SOPs and using safety gears while on work. There is also a need to compensate properly the affected families.