People gather on the road at Mali Sahi after a charged electric wire snapped and fell on the dump yard and (right) electric wires hang dangerously over houses at Chandrasekharpur area in Bhubaneswar. Pictures by Ashwinee Pati

Bhubaneswar, July 6: A mob today ransacked the local Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) office in Chandrasekharpur after a 35-year-old man died due to electrocution.

The mob, consisting of nearly 1,000 local residents, also torched a Cesu maintenance vehicle. They blocked the Nandankanan-Jayadev Vihar road for nearly 45 minutes until Cesu officials promised to provide financial assistance to the family and a job to the deceased’s wife.

The incident has raised questions about the maintenance of electric wires in the city. The deceased, identified as Ramesh Bhadra, a native of Bhadrak, died after he came in contact with a live electric wire, which was snapped last night.

This is the not the first such incident the city. On April 17, a 60-year-old man had died in Ghatikia on the city outskirts when he ventured onto a marshy land, which was charged due to a snapped electric wire.

While a number of electric wires can be spotted dangling from poles in precarious conditions, residents alleged that the distribution company was not carrying out the maintenance work properly. One can spot electric wires dangling from the poles in precarious conditions at the Unit-I daily market making it a potential threat for fire mishaps.

Though the linemen are entrusted with the job of inspecting electric poles and wires at regular intervals and to inform the divisional offices concerned, it is often alleged that they skip the task. The city has three electrical divisions and the length of electric wires covering the entire city would be around 650km.

Sources in Cesu said that around 20 per cent of electric wires used in the city for distribution of power were more than five years old. These ill-maintained wires have not only affected the power-carrying capacity due to weakening tenacity, but are also exposing people to mishaps.

“The condition of electric wires in the city is bad. A mild storm can also lead to snapping of wires. The authorities must conduct regular inspection of wires and change them when needed,” said Basant Jena, a resident of BDA Colony in Chandrasekharpur.

On June 16, fire broke out at Mali Sahi after a charged electric wire snapped and fell on the scrap yard.

However, a Cesu official claimed that they had been conducting regular inspections of electric wires and poles.

“Our employees report to the officials concerned whenever they come across unsafe wires and poles.

Besides, we undertake routine drives to cut tall trees and branches jutting out dangerously to prevent them from coming in contact with overhead electric wires,” said Cesu superintending engineer (in charge) P.K. Sahu.