Yet another incident of death due to hoarding has been reported from Tamil Nadu. A 13-year-old class ninth boy was electrocuted after he touched a pole which was in contact with a live wire from a Syndicate Bank hoarding in Cuddalore district on Friday, October 18.
The deceased identified as Dinesh Kumar was a resident of Kullabchavadi village in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. He was on his way back home from a Primary Health Centre on a bicycle when the incident took place. Dinesh had visited the health centre as he was running a fever. On his way back home he lost his balance and came in contact with a live wire from the advertisement hoarding.
According to The News Minute, a police officer stated, “It was a small advertisement, around one or two feet in size. The wire which connected the bulb for that Syndicate Bank hoarding was disconnected and it was touching the pole. Dinesh Kumar touched the pole to balance himself as he was getting away from the vehicle. When he touched it, he was electrocuted since he wasn’t wearing any slippers and the ground on which he was standing was wet due to rain. Soon he fell unconscious and was rushed to the hospital.” However, he died on his way to the hospital.
Later Dinesh’s parents filed an FIR against the bank manager of Syndicate Bank and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board officials for the disconnected wire. The police are investigating if the hoarding was illegal. No one has been arrested so far.
The Madras High Court following the death of a 23-year-old software engineer in Chennai had slammed the Tamil Nadu government and asked, “How many more litres of blood do you need?”
The techie, Subhasri Ravi, who was on her scooter when an unauthorised hoarding of AIADMK leaders fell on her throwing her off balance. Within a few seconds, a truck right behind her crushed her to death.
The Logical Indian Take
This is the second case of death in Tamil Nadu due to hoardings in the last two months. The Tamil Nadu government despite the Madras High Court’s strict stand doesn’t seem to have implemented the order. The advertisements hoardings pose a danger to not only to the commuters but also to the people around it. Most of the banners to be lite during the night are supplied electricity via a nearby house or a shop. Often the wires are not insulated and are loosely connected and become the cause of a tragedy as in this case. The citizens too have to make sure that any such hoarding, if installed in their nearby area, should immediately be reported.
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