Rao Dilshad Hussain

In the era of machines, we are highly dependent on electricity and there is no doubt that electricity has become the most essential element to run our daily lives. On one hand it makes human lives easier, but on the other hand a slight gaffe can bring serious repercussions of inflicting shocks of thousand of volts particularly during the monsoon season leading to deaths of many.

The need of the hour is to take necessary precautionary measures while working on any electric project. But due to the negligence of the concerned department and the usage of low-quality wire during the constructions, the numbers of electrocution cases have been on a steady rise on a daily basis across the country. In the monsoon season the ratio of electrocutions are increasing and particularly in Lahore every hospital at least gets two to three cases of electrocution on a daily basis.

In this regard, these cases are registered lesser in number during the winter season. Sadly WAPDA has done nothing to prevent these incidents and the occurrences have become a routine matter. During this monsoon more than 200 hundred people including minors have lost their lives and hundreds are critically injured even the apex court is hearing some incident in which the kids have lost their legs. Sunday plus talked to some pertinent expertise to probe into the facts about the increasing number of the electrocution cases.

“The electrical switches are likely to capture more vapour and moisture from the air particularly in the monsoon season that is why short-circuiting has become more rampant and these days slight mistakes and negligence can lead to death on the spot. One of the major reasons behind rapid increment of the electrocution cases is due to the negligence of WAPDA. But it should be kept in mind that a person can get electrocuted though any reason. Some times heavy voltage of electric shocks doesn’t cause deaths while at times even low electric shocks can lead to loss his lives,” Electrical engineer Hammad Masood told while talking to the Sunday plus.

He further informed that, “If everyone turns the electrical switches off, there would be a tremendous reduction in deaths and would also reduce your electricity bills by 20 percent. During constructions people use bad quality of wires that result in short causing. Mostly labourers are electrocuted during construction works. Everybody should use the approved wires whether he is constructing plazas or homes. Mostly inconsistencies have been reported in WAPDA’s working. Main lines are broken and live wires cause deaths of many. Recently a main line fell down at a tractor trolley in the flood affected area where many people were electrocuted sustaining critically injuries due to electric shocks.”

“There are various reasons due to which electrocution cases have been on a rise such as open wiring, unsafe street poles, low-grade motor pumps, and large cluster of wires in old markets, under construction buildings, low quality usage of wires and fitting of the transformers near to the surface of the roads and houses, parks and other public places. People should avoid all these inconsistencies and prefer to utilise proper approved electric wires,” he added.

“Everyday we receive three to four patients that are hit by electric shocks at Mayo Hospital’s emergency. Those patients that are hit by light electric shocks can easily be treated but if the patients are hit by more than 220-voltage of electric shocks then it is too difficult to save their lives because electricity inflicts damages major body organs especially liver and heart. So the patient suffers a lot if they reach hospitals late for first aid. Patients should immediately be hospitalised within the few minutes,” Dr. S. Kunwar told while talking to the Sunday plus.

LESCO Assistant Director Zia Gondal confided that when monsoon is about to initiate LESCO launches a proper campaign in which the Chief Executive of LESCO issues directives to the PR department to advertise the precautionary measures that people should follow. The ads must be published in all the national dailies before the monsoon. Strict actions are taken against the line superintendents and SDOs if they don’t check the main lines and pole conditions.

“But unfortunately the electrocution cases are on a steep rise than before. Mostly children are affected because they don’t know about the street poles that are in fact always dangerous. We post danger signs at every pole but while playing on the street kids normally embrace poles unconsciously and they receive electric shock. So beware of it and people should not allow their kids to play near the electric poles whether it is monsoon or winter,” he added.

With the induction of 69 new tube wells the number of tube wells across Lahore has risen to 450. As a result the water supply has improved and the lurking crisis of water shortage is over. Last few summers were tough as the government had to face demonstrations of people and even riots due to shortage of clean water and electricity. This year half of the problem is at least solved. New tube wells are pumping water around the clock.

In the Walled City people could be seen standing in long queues for hours to fetch water. Often quarrels broke out when people brought too many buckets with them or tried to bypass the queue to get water. The situation was getting worse. There were frequent eruptions of riots at several places in the city.

The Punjab government tasked Frontier Works Organisation to replace tube wells hoping for quick results. The decision to install new tube wells was taken in August 2008. The agony of water starved people and the enthusiasm of the new setup at Punjab required some drastic measures to overcome the looming crisis and FWO took the responsibility to change the scenario. Timely completion and quality work was the yardstick for this project.

It was a challenge both for Punjab government and FWO as some quarters were sceptical that the later being new in tube well installation may face difficulties however the positive experience of Punjab government for the Lahore Roads Project became the determining factor for the go ahead. The work started in October 2008 with a four cubic feet per second (CFS) capacity tube well at Kashmiri Gate and completed in 2010 with the installation of the 69th tube well in Tibbi Thana area that marked the completion of the plan of Rs432 million in about a year with a saving of 27 million of government funds. All the sites have been handed over to WASA however FWO is responsible for one-year maintenance as per contract.

A tube well is more like a glacier whose nine parts out of ten are submerged and for a depth of many hundred feet the quality of equipment and skilled workmanship becomes important. Shahbaz’s government that had politically benefited from the developmental work executed during its previous tenure of late 90’s had to fulfil the promise as well as expectations for the quality development of Lahore. That was the reason that the system of 3rd party consultant was incorporated and NESPAK was brought in as consultants for the designing, inspections and validations of the drinking water project.

The foremost thing in the current project was to get the pure water from the lower water table at a depth of an average 700 feet below. The average water table in Lahore is about a hundred feet below ground however tube wells were previously sunk at a depth of 550 feet. Lowering of the water table and the risk of any contamination in future was the determining factor for it.

FWO has completed and handed over 69 tubewells to the WASA. The tube wells are at Maskeen Pura, Fateh Garh, Mori Gate, Taxali Gate, Kashmiri Gate, Karim Park Goal Ground, 16-B block, Mushtaq Colony Kotli Pir Abdurehman, 5 C-2, RehmanPura, Kawan Kot WASA colony, C Bloc Faisal Town, Akram Park, Hamad Park, Hamad Colony, Piran Wali, Nabi Baksh Park, Moon Market, Qadri Park, Zubair Park, Firdous Colony, F & V Market, Umar Park, Shadman Nala, Kot Khawaj Saeed, Farid Kot House, Mental Hospital, Chanal Bloc A.I.T, Usman Park, Jamshed Park, LDA Quarter Walton, AL-Faisal Town, Ghaziabad Bus Stop, Islam Pura, 1 C-1 Township, Bogi Wall, Gujar Pura, Adda Crown Bus, G Bloc Sabzazar, Akbari Gate, H-2 Bloc Sabzazar Zar, Imam Ghazali, DO (North Office), Junior Model School, Gawala Colony, Apwa College, C Bloc Sabzazar, General Hospital, Waris Road, Sultani Park Sultan Pura, Patila House, Nishtar Bloc, Paisa Akhbar, Lavion Road, Faisal Park, Abikj Park, Nappier Road, FCC college, Polly Technical College, Chohan Road, Gulshsne Hayat, A Block Muslim Town, Munshi Hospital, Taika Mehmood shah, G Bloc Johar Town, Raj Garh Office, Tehsil Garden and Anad Road.

The absence of a master plan affected all types of developmental work including tube wells. Setting up of a tube well requires lot of coordination with different departments and local resident committees however due to lack of coordination, at earmarked locations after taking in hand preliminary working, FWO was told to move to the new alternate site which wasted lot of time and resources.

The tube wells are under the responsibility of FWO for their technical maintenance up to one year and an efficient and responsive round the clock maintenance system has been chalked out. It is however the tube well operator under whose charge the whole system is placed. The operators are generally employees who are illiterate with no training of operating the equipment. It was easy before due to the old mechanical technology. But enhanced electronic systems have necessitated the need and understanding of vocational training.

Some of the tube well sites could not be handed over to FWO even after a delay of 10 months. However despite of all odds, the dedicated team of FWO has delivered and completed this project of 69 tube wells in a scheduled time of 14 months.

“We have done our best however the life of these machines can be greatly enhanced with proper maintenance and adherence of the Standard Operative Procedure (SOP)” Engineer Azam Project Manager, Tube well Project.

The electricity fluctuations and breakdowns require a continuous presence of the operators. Fiddling with panels and disturbing the electronic settings creates more loss than controlling the situation. Late coming and absence of the operators from duty is another common problem. There have been incidents where the operator was absent even during fire.

Unsatisfactory electrical support system has led to many problems. Installation of substandard transformers, stealing of electric wires and replacement with substandard ones are the recurring problems.

Equipment worth millions of rupees needs trained operators. A basic course in tube well operation and some hands-on training should be a must for the operators. Yearly inspections and performance checks system should be incorporated in its earnest. The average life of tube wells is 10 to 15 years, which can be conveniently extended to 20 years by mere efficient maintenance.

FWO has issued guidelines to WASA for the maintenance of tube wells installed in different parts of the city: The tube well operator is to be employed on regular basis with proper instruction and training. The minimum qualification of the tube well operator should be matriculation. Specialized practical training essentially has to be imparted by WASA to the operators for operation and maintenance of tube wells.

The load shedding has almost become a regular feature, frequent closure and re-operation of tube well with erratic energy supply can result in burning of motor, and MCU. Therefore a watchful operator can save the machinery from damage and as well as utilize the available electric supply hours to the maximum.

It has been observed that at times the WAPDA transformer is giving under or over-voltage due to which the tube well is automatically tripped off. Instead of removing the fault of transformer by sending a complaint to WAPDA, the WASA sub division electrician change the setting of control panel at his own to non-permissible limit and as a result control panel has burnt several times.

Opening of sluice valve of main lines before operating a tube well is very important. It has been found that at time the sluice valve of main line is closed by WASA for repair work in general area. Later the tube wells are started without opening of the valves that result in bursting of mainlines due to back thrust.

Tube well panels have to be kept clean. This will enhance the electrical component. Every month all bolts should be tightened and cleaned regularly. To keep the tube well room cool during summers all windows and ventilators should be kept open.