Only recently, National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 million on the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) due to its negligence in two fatal incidents.
According to a news report carried by Business Recorder, a key issue raised by Nepra was that NTDC reported these incidents far too late. The Preliminary Inquiry Reports were submitted after eight months, which violated the timely reporting requirements.
Furthermore, NTDC failed to highlight the cause and manner of the deaths in both incidents, which further compounded the issue. Be that as it may, there has been a surge in the number of fatal electrical accidents in the country in recent months and years.
We all know that injuries and deaths have been the result of direct or indirect contact with electricity. In developing countries, electricity-related accidents are declining due to increased focus on all the associated safety aspects.
In Pakistan, where power tariffs are touching the sky, there is little or no emphasis on electrical safety. Nepra, the power regulator, must force NTDC to improve its performance in the area of electrical safety in particular. Its punitive actions must go beyond mere imposing fines.
Tehsin Gujjar (Faisalabad)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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