Over 40,000 Hazardous Electrical Spots Unresolved by BESCOM

Despite identifying over 1.72 lakh dangerous electrical spots across its network in the past two years, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has yet to rectify 40,000 of them, raising serious concerns about public safety, recent data reveals.

Hazards include low-hanging wires, exposed cables, damaged poles, leaky transformers, and deteriorated service mains. Of the total identified, 1.09 lakh were in Bengaluru alone, but only about 84,000 have been fixed so far.

While BESCOM claims that identifying and fixing these threats is a “continuous process”, as of June 22, 2025, officials could not provide a consolidated update on how many pending issues had been addressed in the current fiscal year.

The issue has already proven deadly. A 11-year-old girl died recently near Anekal after touching a live pole, and in November 2023, 23-year-old Soundarya and her infant daughter were electrocuted by a live wire near Hope Farm in Kadugodi.

Residents say BESCOM’s response is inconsistent. “Exposed underground cables were temporarily covered but reappeared within a year,” said a Kundalahalli resident, urging the utility to prioritize permanent fixes.

Officials admitted that delays occur due to the vast area BESCOM serves and daily maintenance workloads, but insisted that rectifications are tracked and prioritized.

With lives at risk, citizens demand faster action and more accountability to eliminate these high-risk spots.