SHC issues notices on plea seeking action against KE over electrocution deaths in rains

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday issued notices to K-Electric others for an urgent hearing of a petition seeking action against the power utility over the loss of lives of citizens due to electrocution during the monsoon rains in 2019.

Petitioner Mohammad Farhan Wazir submitted that the KE was directed to file a comprehensive report with regard to maintenance work, especially during heavy rains, to stop electrocution of people in different areas of Karachi. He said the KE was also directed to submit details of development work if carried out so far.

He said the KE had not filed a compliance report despite the lapse of one year. He said the subject matter of petition was the alleged criminal negligence on the part of the KE and its failure to ensure that safe electricity cables and poles were installed for the supply of electricity to the citizens, and reportedly 35 persons had lost their lives due to electrocution during the monsoon season in 2019.

The petitioner said the National Electric Power and Regulatory Authority had not taken any action against the KE, and requested the court to hear the matter on an urgent basis.

A division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Iqbal Kalhoro, issued notices to KE and others for May 3.

The KE had earlier submitted that the petition had become infructuous for the reasons that it had undertaken certain steps for the improvement of infrastructure as per directions of the Supreme Court to avoid any untoward incident pertaining to electrocution in the monsoon season. Besides, it stated, Nepra had also imposed a fine and issued certain directions to the KE for improving its infrastructure.