Open electrical wires could be hazardous

Sharjah

Being a resident of Sharjah for more than a decade, I have been closely watching the transformation of the emirates with great enthusiasm. But, there is an issue that I’ve been wanting to bring to the attention of the concerned authorities. In Industrial Area 15, I have noticed that a lot of electrical distribution cabinets near the roadside have been left open for a long time (as seen in photograph).

In the past few years, we have read a lot of news reports about fire accidents, especially in warehouses in Sharjah’s industrial areas. Some of these have been due to electric short circuits. The reasons that have been previously listed by the authorities are poor maintenance and the root causes are the rodents, which eat away the insulation coating of electrical cables. I am, thus, concerned about these open electrical cabinets.

Sharjah Industrial Area 15 is full of warehouses and large and small scale industries, which handle almost all types of materials. The roads are always busy with heavy trucks and cars.

The trucks loaded with materials are being parked near the road next to the electrical distribution boxes. What if a metal road protrudes from the truck and touches the open cables? What if a passerby unintentionally touches the cable? What if there is heavy rain?

I strongly believe that the authorities must take effective safety measures to avoid any catastrophic situation because of the open cables.

A few months ago, the electricity authorities conducted an interactive session in our factory and I had highlighted these concerns to them, too. After so many months, no action has been taken by them. That is one of the reasons I write this letter to Gulf News.

Also in other parts of the emirates, on Al Wahda Street for example, I have spotted similar safety issues. Some of my friends residing in other emirates have also reported coming across this issue.

Majid Majdi, an electrical engineer residing in Ajman, said: “I have spotted so many cases of open cables near the road.”

Soajn M. Chacko, production incharge residing in Al Dhaid, Sharjah, said: “I have come across similar cases in Sharjah.”

Why are the authorities not monitoring such major safety issues? As a suggestion, I would request them to increase the frequency of monitoring the conditions of the electrical network and coordinate with other departments to highlight the violations and impose fines on the concerned.

They could also take help from the residents of the area, inviting them to alert them of similar issues, that could be a cause for concern.

The steps taken for the beautification of the city, improvement of the taxi and public transportation service and road safety drives are all commendable. I hope the authorities look into this issue, too, and resolve it quickly for the safety of the emirate’s residents.

— The reader is based in Sharjah.

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Editor’s note: The reader’s concerns were raised with the management of Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa). However, despite repeated reminders, they did not respond.