Revenue Secretary Kumar Jayant has been appointed as one-member committee to look into the reasons for electrocution at Kalimedu in Thanjavur district that claimed 11 lives. It will submit a report to the State government with recommendations to avoid such accidents in future, Minister for Electricity V. Senthil Balaji said in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Responding to a special call attention motion moved by some MLAs, he explained the reasons for the accident. When the ‘sapparam’ (a small chariot carrying an idol) was made to turn, it was dragged to a side because of the weight of the generator. Its upper portion came in contact with a live wire.
“The 33-KV high-tension electricity supply was disrupted automatically within 0.19 seconds (or 190 milliseconds), owing to the ‘relay indication’, soon after the upper portion of the ‘sapparam’ came close to the lines,” Mr. Balaji said. The upper portion of the ‘sapparam’, which had metal frames and was decorated with serial lights, caught fire.
