JAIPUR: The Shahpura transformer mishap which claimed 14 lives and left over two dozen injured has set the alarm bells ringing for the electricity board in the city as many where old and ill-maintained transformers are located in the middle populated areas.
The case in point is the old Purohit Ji ka Katla, which is house to several cloth shops. Here, a transformer is located in the middle of a narrow market point where a transformer was placed years ago, since then, the local shopkeepers said that electricity board has not been able to carry out regular maintenance of the transformer which poses a great risk.
Rajendra Tank, who owns a house in Purohit Ji ka Katla, claimed that many letters were written to the electricity department to shift the transformer. "Every other day some monkey dies here. We are worried after the Shahpura incident that something may happen here also. If some untoward fire incident does takes place here, the ambulance would not be able to come into the market, because here lanes are very narrow," he added.
Sandeep Agarwal, one of the shopkeeper said that the civic body had promised to place fire extinguishers in the area but nothing has been done so far.
"People used the space near this transformer for throwing garbage, some shopkeepers even keep the bundles of clothes next to the transformer," he added.
Similar situation is faced by people in Chandpole Bazar where live wires jutting out of the transformer passes though the houses, "There is a transformer right outside our window, god forbids if Shahpura like incident happen here, we would not even be able to rush for our lives," said Naveen, a resident.
While the engineers have claimed that transformer explosions are rare, the people fear that some short circuit or overcapacity may lead to similar incident. Several transformers in areas like Banipark, Kartarpua and Barkat Nagar are places near residential area.
The case in point is the old Purohit Ji ka Katla, which is house to several cloth shops. Here, a transformer is located in the middle of a narrow market point where a transformer was placed years ago, since then, the local shopkeepers said that electricity board has not been able to carry out regular maintenance of the transformer which poses a great risk.
Rajendra Tank, who owns a house in Purohit Ji ka Katla, claimed that many letters were written to the electricity department to shift the transformer. "Every other day some monkey dies here. We are worried after the Shahpura incident that something may happen here also. If some untoward fire incident does takes place here, the ambulance would not be able to come into the market, because here lanes are very narrow," he added.
Sandeep Agarwal, one of the shopkeeper said that the civic body had promised to place fire extinguishers in the area but nothing has been done so far.
"People used the space near this transformer for throwing garbage, some shopkeepers even keep the bundles of clothes next to the transformer," he added.
Similar situation is faced by people in Chandpole Bazar where live wires jutting out of the transformer passes though the houses, "There is a transformer right outside our window, god forbids if Shahpura like incident happen here, we would not even be able to rush for our lives," said Naveen, a resident.
While the engineers have claimed that transformer explosions are rare, the people fear that some short circuit or overcapacity may lead to similar incident. Several transformers in areas like Banipark, Kartarpua and Barkat Nagar are places near residential area.
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