The farmers of Madhesh, who are facing drought, are resorting to irrigation as an alternative method of planting till mid-July. When the field becomes barren, the panicked farmers have started installing borings in the fields until they leave. However, due to non-observance of procedures and precautions, accidental death due to electrocution is increasing.

42-year-old Moktar Dewan of Katharia Municipality-2 died of electrocution while connecting an electric motor to the field for irrigation on July 7th. On the same day, 40-year-old Rambabu Mukhiya of Madhavnarayan Municipality-4 also died due to electrocution. Moktar, who was electrocuted at night while pumping water from a motor to irrigate the fields, was brought to Grandi Hospital in Garuda for treatment, and the doctor declared him dead. Rautahat Police Spokesperson DSP Deepak Kumar Rai said that he died due to electrocution while drilling by placing an open wire on an electric pole.

Data on deaths due to electric shock in Madhesh province from July 1, 2081 to July 10, 2082

Source: Madhesh Pradesh Police Office 

In the first week of July, a 62-year-old local Rampreet Pandit died due to electrocution while irrigating crops with an electric motor in Golbazar Municipality-13 Durgapur of Siraha . The police said that Pandit, who had been watering since night after connecting the motor, did not come home till morning, and his son was found dead when he reached the field. The police said that further investigation is underway on the incident.

60-year-old Asarfi Mahara, a resident of Malhania, Hanspur Municipality-3, Dhanusha, was electrocuted on July 8 while irrigating the fields by driving an electric motor. In the afternoon while irrigating the field, he got injured due to a short circuit in the wire connected to the motor. Dhanusha Police Spokesperson DSP Barun Singh informed that he died after being taken to a local clinic in Hanspur for treatment. On the same day, 57-year-old Dhatu Raivar, a resident of Suvarna Rural Municipality-7 Bahuarwa, Bara, died of electrocution in the evening. He was electrocuted and seriously injured while watering his farm with a motor. He was immediately taken to the local SRP hospital. The police said that he died during treatment. 

3 farmers died in a week in Rautahat due to electrocution while watering the fields

Due to the delay in planting the fields due to drought, the cases of death due to electric shock have started to increase when the farmer conducts the boring by hooking without completing the coordination and process with the electricity authority . In the last fiscal year, 29 farmers died due to electrocution while irrigating through borings in Madhesh province. The cases of electrocution are increasing due to not taking care that random hooking leads to death. Even though the Electricity Authority has been reminding them not to hook up, the farmers have been doing it. When farmers irrigate the fields with motors, borings, it has been found that they have connected the wires directly to the 400 volts poles below 11,000 volts and connected them to the boring machines . Dhirendra Kumar Yadav, Chief of Electricity Authority Chandranigahpur Branch, says that it is very dangerous to use it in a careless manner. "We remind the farmers and tell them not to put the wire in this way." But if they don't say it, the situation becomes serious . People are dying due to electrocution," he said. According to the electricity workers, the farmers wrap ordinary plastic in bare wire and take it away on the pretext of watering the fields. After such a wire falls into water, there are cases of death of people due to external current supply.

After increasing the number of farmers dying due to electrocution, the district administration office has issued a precautionary notice on July 12. Assistant Chief District Officer Kirannidhi Tiwari said that the number of injuries and deaths due to carelessness while operating the electric motor used in agricultural work has increased and requested to coordinate with the Electricity Authority to take precautions to reduce the incident. Farmers need water right now. They have to arrange water in the fields in any way,' he said. But the cases of death increased due to random hooking.'

should normally be able to be planted by July 15. But after no rain, most of the farmers' fields in Madhesh are barren. This year, even the underground water has started to dry up . The paddy plants planted in June and June have started to dry rapidly. Dhanja is spread on the ground . Farmers who could not plant are scattered. According to Krishi Gyan Kendra Gaur, only 60 percent planting has been done in the district till July 15. Moulapur and Fatuwa Vijayapur municipalities have been paying electricity tariffs to farmers for household and irrigation. Moulapur paid 40 million to the authority last year for consuming electricity in this way. Fatuwavijaipur has also submitted an amount above 20 million . Rambinesh Yadav, Head of Moulapur Branch of Electricity Authority, said that even if the municipality pays the tariff, farmers are surprised to see hooking. We have been reminding you not to hook up. Neither the farmers have accepted . Neither others," he said, "when the municipality has paid the fee, there is no reason to steal. We ourselves are worried about the condition of the farmers.' The authority said that while hooking the fields, the authorities have taken away the motorbikes of many farmers. The authority has also fined them. Sukhal Sah, a farmer of Fatuwavijaypur, said that he was boring to water after not being able to plant the fields. "Even though I know that it is risky because there is no time to connect the meter, I have run the boring with a hook," he said.

In case of death due to negligence, the authority forms an inquiry committee after registering the petition of the victim. A committee with representatives of the district administration and local level reaches the house and finds out the real . Electricity Authority Provincial Office Janakpur said that only after it was confirmed that the authority was negligent, it would give 5 lakh compensation. According to the office, 15 thousand and 20 thousand compensation is given in case of death of ox and buffalo due to current. The authority has arranged to give compensation only if a person has died due to falling pole, falling wire or due to their own helter-skelter. 

The authority has taken out a rally during the annual program to avoid the risk of electricity . After the incident of electrocution death, the police has been registering the fate of the victim. Deepak Kumar Rai, DSP of District Police Rautahat, said that after the complaint was registered, a thorough investigation would be carried out to determine whether someone had applied the electricity or whether it had been done by himself. It has been found in the police investigation that in most of the cases, the negligence of the deceased appears to be the cause. The authority has also not conducted an awareness program at the village level about the precautions to be taken in the use of electricity. According to the Madhesh Province Office of the authority, 38 people have received compensation in 8 districts from Saptari to Parsa in a period of 5 years since 2075. According to the authority, 3 people died due to electrocution in Siraha, 14 in Dhanusha, 5 in Mahottari, 4 in Sarlahi, 6 in Rautahat, 5 in Bara and 1 in Parsa.