Buffalo ‘electrocuted’ near village pond, man wins Rs 90,000 from Haryana power discom

A district consumer commission has directed the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (UHBVNL) to pay Rs 90,000 to a 45-year-old man whose buffalo allegedly died after coming into contact with the faulty support wire of an electric pole near a village pond in 2020.

The Rohtak District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission held the state-owned power distribution company deficient in service, rejecting its argument that the buffalo could not have come into contact with the wire because there was insufficient space between the support wire and a nearby wall.

President Nagender Singh Kadia and Dr Tripti Pannu were hearing a complaint filed by the man who claimed that villagers had informed the power discom regarding the presence of electric current in the pole and requested to remove the defect, but they failed to do so.

“The opposite party (discom) is held liable for deficiency in service and is liable to compensate the complainant for the loss of the buffalo. As per the post-mortem report, the approximate value of the buffalo was Rs 80,000. Accordingly, the complainant is entitled to compensation to the extent of Rs 80,000,” the commission said on October 21.

Buffalo died due to electrocution

The man claimed that his buffalo helped him earn a livelihood. On February 17, 2020, he took the animal to the village pond to drink water. While returning, the animal came into contact with the support wire of an electric pole and got electrocuted, dying on the spot.

A post-mortem examination was conducted at the Animal Hospital in Pakasma, the man said, adding that he spent Rs 10,000 on transporting and burying the dead buffalo.

He blamed the electricity discom for failing to properly maintain and insulate the electric wire despite the complaint from villagers, which ultimately resulted in the death of his buffalo and financial loss to him.

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Aggrieved, he approached the commission seeking compensation, litigation expenses and other relief. He was represented by advocate Shekhar Sharma.

What discom said

UBVHNL, through advocate Sandeep Kumar, submitted that the complaint was false, frivolous and vague, and the complainant had not approached the commission with clean hands.

The discom claimed that the complainant’s buffalo had died in his home due to electrocution and he later brought the dead buffalo near the pole to extract false compensation. It added that the gram panchayat had installed an illegal connection to a light from the said pole, and no official of the company was responsible for the alleged accident.

The counsel also argued that on being alerted of the matter, an official visited the spot and found that there was no electric current flowing through the said pole and the buffalo lay about three feet away from the wire.

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‘Contact with conductor enough for electrocution’

The commission noted that the photograph submitted by the man showed that his buffalo lay dead near the electric pole erected by the discom. It observed that physical rubbing against an exposed or damaged live wire was not necessary for electrocution, and mere contact with an energised conductor would be sufficient to cause electrocution.

“Therefore, the contention that the gap between the stay wire and the wall was insufficient for the buffalo to rub its body against the stay wire does not, by itself, rule out the possibility of electrocution,” it added.

The commission ordered the department to pay Rs 80,000 to the man, besides Rs 5,000 as compensation for deficiency in service and Rs 5,000 towards litigation expenses.

Takeway

The ruling highlights the responsibility of electricity distribution authorities to properly maintain electrical infrastructure and address complaints about potentially dangerous wires.

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Consumers facing similar grievances may contact the consumer helpline in their respective states (Haryana: 1800-180-2087) or dial the National Consumer Helpline at 1915 for assistance.

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