BHOPAL is estimated to have between one lakh and 1.5 lakh electricity and street-light poles, including around 70,000 to 90,000 power distribution poles and more than 50,000 street-light and octagonal poles in municipal and Smart City areas. Around 60% of the poles are estimated to face maintenance-related issues, raising concerns over the risk of accidents if electrical infrastructure is not inspected regularly. Two recent electrocution incidents involving power poles and exposed wires have raised questions over maintenance and safety checks. In MP Nagar, BJP Yuva Morcha district general secretary Divyarishi Tiwari died after coming in contact with an electrically charged pole outside DB Mall. In Bilkhiriya, 18-year-old Ashish and his father Brajmohan died after coming in contact with an exposed power wire in a field. In the MP Nagar incident, the municipal corporation acknowledged that the pole carrying the current belonged to it. The civic body, however, said it had not received any complaint about the pole being electrified before the incident. If information from local residents about an earlier electric shock incident is confirmed during the investigation, questions will arise over whether the pole had been inspected regularly.

 

The location outside DB Mall witnesses heavy pedestrian movement, making electrical leakage from the pole a serious public safety concern. Police are examining how the pole became live and whether any department had been informed earlier. After Tiwari’s death, a red cloth was tied around the pole as a warning. However, the measure has raised questions about whether a warning marker is sufficient or whether the pole requires a technical electrical safety inspection and corrective work. MP Nagar police station in-charge Jai Hind Sharma said an investigation was underway. He said criminal action would be taken if negligence by any department or individual was established. Police are also examining the technical cause of the incident and the condition of the pole. On August 13, Ashish, 18, came in contact with an exposed electricity wire while spraying pesticide in a field under Bilkhiriya police station limits. His father Brajmohan, 44, was electrocuted when he went to rescue his son. Both died at the spot. Their bodies remained in the field overnight before relatives learnt about the incident the next morning. The city has an estimated 70,000 to 90,000 electricity poles and more than 50,000 street-light and octagonal poles.