Lok Sabha Question No. 3674 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-10
Subject: Deaths due to Electrocution of STPs
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Sudheer Gupta, Bidyut Baran Mahato, Prataprao  Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3674

ANSWERED ON 10.08.2023

## DEATHS DUE TO ELECTROCUTION OF STPs

| 3674.   | SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK    | SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE   |
|---------|------------------------------------|----------------------------|
|         | SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE | SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA         |
|         | SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV              | SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO   |

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  a  number  of  people  died  and  many  injured  due  to  electrocution  at  the  site  of  a  Sewage Treatment  Plant  (STP)  of  the  Namami  Gange  Project  on  the  Alaknanda  river  in  Chamoli  district  of Uttarakhand;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;

(c) whether the Government has sent any Central team to ascertain the reasons for such dreaded incident and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government has announced any financial assistance to the kith and kins of people injured and died in the said incident;

(e) whether the Government has ordered any probe to fix the responsibility of the people responsible for the said incident and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) the steps taken by the Government to prevent such incidents in future at hydro-electric sites across the country?

ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a)  to  (e) Two incidents  of  electrocution  happened  on  19.07.2023  at  the  50  KLD   STP  at  Chamoli, Uttarakhand in which 16 number of people, including 4 police officials, died and 11 injured at the site of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP).  This STP was sanctioned under Namami Gange program on 29.03.2017 and after completion of construction, handed over to Uttarakhand Pey Jal Nigam (UPJN) on 23.09.2019 for Operation & Maintenance (O&M), which inturn handed it on 05.06.2021 to Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan (UJS) for its O&M for the next 13 years. Presently, this project is under the supervision of UJS.

A team of 02 officers from National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Government of India was deputed  to  the  site  to  assess  the  ground  situation.   The  team  visited  the  accident  site,  interacted  with locals/State officials. As per their report, the first incident happened during the early hours of 19.07.2023, when the main electric panels in the STP got burnt due to high voltage and one staff of the STP operator was  electrocuted.  The  second  accident  occurred  at  about  11:30  AM,  when  the  electric  line  was inadvertently  energized  by  a  staff  of  the  Uttarakhand  Power  Corporation  Limited,  while  the  Police officials were preparing the report of the accident along with some local people at the accident site.

The actions taken by the State Government, as reported by them, are as under:

- i. A  Magisterial  enquiry  was  ordered  by  District  Magistrate,  Chamoli  and  ADM  Chamoli  was asked to conduct the enquiry.
- ii. FIR  No.  29/23  under Section  304 IPC  and  under  Section  13/31  Dangerous  Machines (Regulation) Act was lodged in Chamoli Police Station.
- iii. Rs 5 lakhs for the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 1.0 lakh each to the injured has been disbursed.
- iv. The  Secretary,  Drinking  Water  Department,  Govt.  of  Uttarakhand  has  directed  to  conduct Electrical Safety Audit with the help of competent technical   experts in all STPs, water supply pumping units and other similar installations. The Chief Secretary, Govt. of Uttarakhand has also ordered, vide letter no. 3881/PS-CS/2023 dated 20 th July, 2023 to ensure all   the electrical safety measures in all the vital installations.
- v. Two officials of the State Government have been placed under suspension. Four persons have been arrested by the local Police.

The following actions were taken by NMCG:

- i. An emergency meeting was held under the chairmanship of DG, NMCG on 19.07.2023. A team of 02 Officers from NMCG was deputed to the site to assess the ground situation.
- ii. A Video Conference (VC) was organized by DG, NMCG on 20-7-2023 with concessionaires of all projects under NMCG and senior officials of SPMG to sensitize them on the issues related to safety at work sites and installations. Over 500 people attended the VC.
- iii. The  Director  General,  NMCG  has  issued  Advisory  addressed  to  SPMG,  Uttarakhand,  Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal regarding electrical safety protocols to be followed and safety audit at sewerage infrastructure works and other assets created under Namami Gange Programme.
- iv. NMCG has framed an environment and social management framework (ESMF) for managing social  and  environmental  impacts  through  appropriate  measures  during  the  planning,  design, construction, and operation phases of various investments such as following:
5.  Environment and Social Audit:  The audits and trainings are being held annually regarding the environmental and social aspects. Till date, 44 projects have been audited.
6.  Occupational Health and Safety Audit (OHSA): OHSA carried out in 9 supercritical projects, i.e; 6 in Bihar, 2 in Uttar Pradesh and 1 in West Bengal from October 2021 to January 2022.
7.  Annual  National  OSHA  workshops:  Annual  National  OSHA  workshops  were  held  on 17.06.2022  in  Delhi  and  on  12.06.2023  in  Patna.  Onsite  trainings  were  held  during  the workshops.
8.  Environment  and  Social  Due  Diligence  Report : Seven  reports  have  been  prepared  during 2021-22.
9.  Environment and Social Management Action Plan : ESAMPS are used to be prepared for all the projects for which funding is sought under Namami Gange program from 2021-2023.
10.  A training workshop on Occupational, Health & Safety Audit/ESA was organized on 20th July 2023 under the chairmanship of Director General NMCG on 'Key risks and mitigation strategies in sewerage treatment plants (STPs) under operation'.

(f) The  following  steps  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  such  incidents  in  future  at hydro-electric sites across the country:-

- i. Under  section  177  of  Electricity  Act  2003,  Ministry  of  Power  has  notified  CEA  (Measures relating  to  safety  and  Electric  supply)  Regulations,  2023  for  ensuring  safety  of  electrical installations  of  all  voltages.  In  addition,  to  prevent  incidents  of  electrocution  and  spreading awareness  regarding  electrical  safety,  every  year  26 th June  is  observed  as  National  Electrical Safety  Day  and  the  corresponding  week  is  observed  as  National  Electrical  Safety  Week (NESW).
- ii. In view of above, 37 Nos. of Electrical Safety Workshops were organized by CEA during FY 2022-2023  and  24  Nos.  of  Electrical  Safety  workshops  were  organized  in  ongoing  year  i.e. April 2023 to August 2023 for O&M personnel of Power utilities and Industries by CEA.
- iii. Respective  State  Governments  have  the  mechanism/procedure  in  place  for  inspection  of electrical installations falling under their jurisdiction.

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