Manisha Sahani, 30, of Garuda Municipality-3 in Rautahat district, is still traumatised by an incident that happened on April 3.

That day, her husband Manoj Sahani, a teacher at Raksirang-based school in Makwanpur district, had come home in Malahi settlement on leave. When he attempted to operate an electric water pump to irrigate a vegetable farm, he got an electric shock. Manoj, 40, collapsed as he touched the pump’s wire. He died on the spot.

“An unbelievable tragedy happened in our life,” Manisha said. “The sole bread earner of our family died.”

Manoj completed his MSc and was appointed as a teacher at Kalika Secondary School in Raksirang-9 a few years ago. “I sent him to campus and made him a teacher by selling vegetables,” said Manoj’s elderly father Bishwanath. “What could be a bigger tragedy than losing one’s beloved son?”

Similar tragedy occurred in Ram Mahato’s house in Ishwarpur Municipality-9 of Sarlahi district on May 10. An internet wire tied in an electricity pole in front of his house was hanging low. Ram hurried to help a boy of his neghourhood after he got trapped in the wire and fell down. Ram got an electric shock as he pulled the wire by the side.

His wife Kusum rushed to the site upon seeing her husband lying on the ground. Kusum somehow removed him from the live wire. But she got an electric shock, too, collapsed and died in front of seriously injured Ram.

Ram becomes emotional whenever he sees the utility pole in front of his house. “I recall the tragic incident when I saw the electricity pole. She saved me but I could not save her. I cannot forget this incident throughout my life,” said Ram. After the incident, he was rushed to the Sarlahi district hospital where he regained his consciousness after 12 hours. He sustained serious injuries in arms and legs. His legs are not as they were before.

Ram vented his ire to the internet company for the unmanaged wire. Man Bahadur Shreshta, Police Inspector at the Area Police Office in Bayalbas, however, has a different version. “An investigation showed that the victims’ family had cut the internet wire themselves,” he said. “We would take legal action against the internet company if it was found guilty.”

Many people in the Madhesh Province have faced the fates of Manisha and Ram. The tragedy of Dinesh Sahani of Garuda Municipality-2 is even more pitiable. Dinesh and his wife Sugandhi Devi were out of the house for work on September 31, 2022 when their 14-year-old daughter Amariya returned from school. She was thirsty. She wanted to drink cold water from the well. So she attempted to put on the water pump and got an electric shock.

The neighbours informed Dinesh and Sugandhi Devi about the incident. Sugadhi fell unconscious on the way and rushed to Garuda Hospital. “I sent her (Amariya) to school in the morning and went to work. But I could not talk to her anymore,” said Dinesh. He immediately removed the electric water pump from the tap and informed the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) about the incident. He complained that the NEA paid no heed about the incident.

Incidents of electric shock are on the rise in eight districts of Madhesh Province. “The deaths caused by electric shock are increasing mainly due to the negligence of the electricity authority and carelessness of the local people,” said Ambika Sahani, the ward chairman of Garuda-3. “The electricity wires are hanging quite low but the electricity authority does not pay attention to it. I drew attention to the electricity authority several times about it but to no avail.” According to him, the people in rural areas are unaware about the safe use of electricity and the NEA has not launched any awareness campaign in the rural areas of Garuda Municipality.

As per the data available at Madhesh Province Office of the Nepal Electricity Authority in Janakpur, a total of 449 people died of electric shock in Meadhesh Province over the past five years. Most of the incidents were caused due to electric short-circuit in electric water pumps.

“Death incidents caused by electric shock are increasing in Madhesh Province,” said Munindra Thakur, chief of Madhesh Province Chief of Nepal Electricity Authority. “People are not careful while using the electricity. Many people died due to carelessness and lack of awareness.” He claimed that the NEA providesRs 500,000 as compensation to the family of the deceased if the incident happens due to the negligence of the electricity authority.

“The NEA forms a probe committee after the victim registers a complaint,” Thakur said. “The committee comprising the representatives of the district administration and the local unit probes about the incident. The compensation is provided if the incident happens due to the NEA’s negligence.”

Madhesh Province Office of the Nepal Electricity Authority says that it provided compensation to the families of 35 victims killed by the electric shock.

“Awareness programmes should be launched mainly in the rural area to minimise the incidents caused by electric shock,” said Yuvaraj Bhattarai, Minister for Industry and Tourism in Madhesh Province. “The NEA is more responsible to control incidents related to electrocution.”