Electrocution kills nearly 30 Indians a day

每天有近30名印度人触电身亡

Saleem Saifi, 29, was on his way home when an overhead wire fell on him on a waterlogged road in Delhi’s Fatehpur Beri. Saifi was electrocuted along with passerby Hoshiar Singh who had rushed to his rescue. Both families are distraught after losing their sole breadwinners. But the tragedy isn’t theirs alone.

29岁的萨利姆·赛义夫走在回家的路上，这条路上有积水，一根电线掉在了他身上。前去救他的路人辛格和他一起触电身亡。失去了唯一的经济支柱后，这两个家庭都悲痛欲绝。但悲剧并不仅仅发生在他们身上。

Every year thousands of Indians are getting electrocuted in freak accidents on streets dotted with damaged power cables. In 2015 alone, 9,986 electrocution deaths were recorded across the country with Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan each witnessing over 1,000 casualties, according to latest data available with the National Crime Records Bureau.

每年都有成千上万的印度人在布满受损电线的街道上发生事故，触电身亡。根据印度国家犯罪记录局提供的最新数据，仅2015年，印度全国就有9986人触电身亡，中央邦、马哈拉施特拉邦(Maharashtra)和拉贾斯坦邦的触电死亡人数均超过1000人。

The numbers may be shocking but they have done little to prompt authorities into action or get them to put safety checks in place. In fact, the problem seems to be getting worse.

这些数字可能令人震惊，但也未能促使当局采取行动，或者促使他们进行安全检查。事实上，这个问题似乎越来越严重。

TOI accessed data from the Directorate of Electrical Safety (Uttar Pradesh) which showed that electrocution deaths in the state have almost doubled in the last seven years — from 570 in 2012-13 to nearly 1,120 in 2018-19. Authorities only swing into action when something big -- like when 50 kids in UP’s Balrampur district were injured after a high tension wire fell on a school -- makes national headlines. "Eyewitnesses claimed the wire was dangling for several months and used to swing during heavy rain and wind. Villagers had made several complaints to the power department to remove the wire but in vain," Harihar Prasad, Basic Shiksha Adhikari, said.

《印度时报》查看了印度北方邦电力安全理事会的数据。数据显示，在过去7年中，该邦触电死亡人数几乎翻了一番——从2012年至2013年的570人增至2018年至2019年的近1120人。当局只有在发生重大事故时才会采取行动，比如，北方邦巴尔拉姆普尔50名儿童因一根高压线坠落到学校而受伤。目击者称，这根电线已经悬挂了好几个月，经常在风雨中摇摆。村民们曾多次向电力部门投诉，要求拆除电线，但都徒劳无果。

It was only after the tragic incident that the the UP government directed officials to prepare a list of schools with high tension wires passing above them. The state now plans to shift overhead lines and strengthen power infrastructure by repairing dilapidated wires and replacing bamboo poles with conventional electricity poles. Such measures were long needed in a state where more than 5,700 people have been electrocuted in the last seven years.

在这起悲剧事件发生后，北方邦政府才指示官员们整理一份名单，列出有高压电线从上方穿过的学校。目前，北方邦计划整改架空线路，加强电力基础设施，修复破旧电线，用传统电线杆取代竹竿。在过去7年里，该邦有5700多人触电身亡。

Experts said that in develo countries like India, there is less awareness on safety and electric equipment is often not used as per standards laid down. While the normal distance between two electric poles should be 50 feet and pillar height at least 18 feet, these guidelines are mostly flouted. Power lines have remained above ground where they are prone to physical deterioration and outages. Gusty winds can snap even the strongest lines and towers, letting them fall on unsuspecting victims, like in a recent incident in UP’s Sambhal where four kids were electrocuted in June as a live wire fell on a tube well pool where they were bathing. Sarvesh Saini, father of two boys who perished in the incident, told TOI, “There is no joy left in our lives.”

专家表示，在印度等发展家，人们的安全意识较薄弱，电力设备往往不符合规定的标准。虽然两根电线杆之间的正常距离应为50英尺，电线杆高度至少应为18英尺，但这些标准大多被无视。电线在地面上，容易出现物理故障和中断。强风甚至能折断最坚固的电线和高架塔，然后掉落在毫无防备的受害者身上，就像最近发生在北方邦桑珀尔的一起事故。今年6月，一根电线落在孩子们正在洗澡的一个管井里，导致四名孩子触电身亡。Sarvesh Saini是其中两个男孩的父亲，他说：“我们生活已经没有欢乐了。”

Such heart-rending incidents can be avoided through underground cabling. European countries like Germany and Denmark have already done that. A major reason power companies resist burying wires is that it costs several times more than stringing it overhead. Thus, many in India continue to reside in houses where high-tension wires are very close to the roof. In July, Riya Devyani, 10, was playing on the terrace of her house in Housing Board Colony, Ajmer, when she suffered 70% burn injuries; her right hand was amputated.

这种令人心碎的事件，可以通过铺设地下电缆来避免。德国和丹麦等欧洲国家已经这样做了。电力公司不愿埋线的一个主要原因是埋线的成本是架空线的好几倍。结果，许多印度人仍然住在距离高压线非常近的房子里。今年7月，10岁的里娅·德芙雅尼在自家阳台上玩耍时，70%的身体烧伤，右手被截肢。

In Madhya Pradesh, high tension wires electrocuted 1,708 in 2016. Sukhveer Singh, MD of Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL), said people are advised to build houses at safe distance from power lines yet only a few heed this warning. According to chief personnel officer of Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam, Rakesh Sharma, 293 electrocution deaths and 108 injuries recorded in Rajasthan in 2018-19 were attributed to negligence of power companies. In April and May this year, power firms have been held responsible for 63 fatalities.

2016年，中央邦发生1708起高压线触电事故。中央邦电力管理有限公司(MPPMCL)建议人们在远离电线的安全距离外建造房屋，但只有少数人注意到这一警告。拉贾斯坦邦首席人事官拉卡什•沙玛表示，拉贾斯坦邦在2018年至2019年期间发生的293起触电死亡和108起受伤事件，都归咎于电力公司的疏忽大意。今年4月和5月，63起死亡事故都归咎于电力公司

Consumer rights activist Anil Galgali said, “We are demanding inspection of all areas by power firms to point out any flaw or exposed wires which can lead to electrocution.” But an official from a power utility firm categorically said it was not possible. “We check regularly for faulty wiring but it is not possible to check every building daily,” he said.

消费者权益活动家安尼尔·加尔加利称:“我们要求各地电力公司进行检查，标出任何可能导致触电的地方或暴露的电线。但一家电力公司的官员明确表示：“这是不可能的。我们定期检查线路是否有故障，但不可能每天检查每一栋建筑。”

印度时报读者的评论：

译文来源：三泰虎 http://www.santaihu.com/48141.html   译者：Jessica.Wu

外文：https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

India Rising•2 hours ago

Why cant the cables go underground? Learn from developed countries.

为什么不把电缆埋在地下?要向发达国家学习。

Ulhas Vajre•NAVI MUMBAI•2 hours ago

Unimaginable corruption in political and administration systems resulted in no value of human life. Blinded by power and money the politicians and administrators see nothing beyond self, let common people live or die..who bothers? Safety is our last priority.

难以想象，印度人太腐败了，人命如草贱。相关人员被权力和金钱蒙蔽了双眼，对问题视而不见，不管普通老百姓的死活。有谁在乎?提升安全是我们的首要任务。

TheIndian•India•2 hours ago

infrastructure is not modernized. there is a lot of issues with the muncipality depts. no proper skill set of people for planning.

基础设施还没现代化。市政部门存在很多问题，没有人负责规划。

Loyal Marathi•3 hours ago

This is how India will qualify to be a super ''Power'' nation

这就是印度成为一个“超级”大国 的方式

Baresi•3 hours ago

AT least in cities, electric lines should be housed underground.

至少在城市里，电线应该埋在地下。

Rajesh•Bangalore•3 hours ago

Yet another proof, how carelessly these Govt work. They are very irresponsible, which is something which you will hardly see in a developed country.

这也表明印度政府是多么漫不经心，不负责任。这种事情在发达国家是难得一见的。

Rene Fernandez•juffair•3 hours ago

Sub standard cable and new technology which is acceptable in the developed world must only be used in India . This is an urgent change required to save lives . It is a shocking news and not acceptable anymore

印度应采用在发达国家可以接受的次级标准电缆和新技术。这是拯救生命所必需的紧急变革。太令人震惊了，再也无法容忍了

Jaihind•Unknown•3 hours ago

No issues, these are small things and common, our hindu men, children, muslim or christians are killed due to bad infrastructure, road accidents, electrocuted are fine, nothing wrong in it...

没问题，这些都是小事，很常见。印度基础设施太烂，人们因此而丧命，交通事故也好，触电也好，没啥。

aaaa bbbb•4 hours ago

not good

不是什么好事

Vishwa Kumar•Unknown•4 hours ago

The hope of most of the wiring is done under the ground. They need to find some latest technologies to keep High tension wires safe from public.

电线应该埋在地下的。铺设高压电线很有技术的，得采用最先进的技术，以确保公众的安全。

Anil•4 hours ago

This is a very serious issue pan India. We too must upgrade from the overhead loops to safe modern way.

这个问题很严重。我们铺设电缆应采取安全规范的方法。

agpatel•5 hours ago

Mr. Modi Where R U ! i think we are steel at 19@ century

莫迪先生，你在哪里! 我认为我们仍停留在19世纪啊。

Sourav Mukherjee•Kolkata•5 hours ago

The electricity distribution companies operating in India are hugely negligent , avoid minimum safety measures in the name of austerity

印度电力公司存在严重疏忽，打着节俭的旗号，完全无视安全规范

Work is Worship•5 hours ago

Electricity theft leaves lose wires hanging around, rainy season also leads to hazards. A review of infrastructure is needed. It''s been ages that nothing concrete has been done so far.

人们的偷电行为，导致四处都悬挂着松动的电线，在雨季会滋生危险。有关方面应对基础设施进行检查。到目前为止，还没有采取任何具体措施，这种情况已经存在好几年了。