EB deaths up, but no count on demise of contract employees

THE recent electrocution deaths of two contract employees engaged in maintenance work on a 11-kV power line along the Olaiyur Ring Road in Tiruchy district has brought the focus back on the avoidable yet recurring mortalities of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board's workers.

- S GURUVANMIKANATHAN

While data obtained by TNIE revealed that as many as 87 employees died in the three-year period from 2021-22 to 2023-24, this number is likely to be an underestimation since TNEB doesn't count deaths of contract labourers as employee deaths.

For instance, the recent deaths of Kalaimani (42) and Manickam (37), both contract labourers who previously worked with the state highways department and then with TNEB, will not go on record as TNEB employee deaths.