Power cuts turn into death traps for villagers in Coimbatore

Coimbatore : While power shut down is a matter of discomfort for those living in towns, it is turning out to be a death trap in the fringe villages of Coimbatore. A power shutdown in Nalloorvayal resulted in the killing of a 65-year-old woman by an elephant in the outskirts of the city.

The victim, S Chinnamani from Kottathukaduthottam in Nalloorvayal was the wife of a farmer Subbiah. Since Subbiah was admitted at the hospital due to an illness, Chinnamani was sleeping alone at the farmhouse. The night turned out to be a nightmare for her, following a sudden power shut down in the village. Unable to sleep due to the humid conditions, Chinnamani had reportedly left her house door ajar and was sleeping near the door. She was unaware that a mother elephant and calf were roaming in the same area. Locals allege that Chinnamani was pulled out of her house by the mother elephant and was trampled to death on the spot. Her mortal remains were removed from the area and were sent to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Alleging that the frequent power shut down in the area was responsible for the death of the sexagenarian, locals requested that the problem be rectified as soon as possible. “We are forced to sleep outside our houses because of regular power shut downs here. Our homes are hot inside and unbearable at nights. To get some sleep, most of the families sleep outside, risking our lives. Power supply is cut for six hours a day,” lamented a local resident. He further added that despite a warning from the Forest Department, people are unable to keep the lights on in front of their homes because of the power cuts, which makes it easy for elephants to move closer to houses.

Residents also claimed that frequent complaints raised with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation officials have fallen on deaf ears, and the erratic power supply continues to worry them. When contacted, a senior official attached with the Alandurai TANGEDCO denied that there were frequent power cuts in the area. He said that power supply was interrupted last night after a teak tree fell on a transformer in the area. “We have rectified it in the morning and power supply was given immediately,” he clarified. Meanwhile, forest officials have requested people to refrain from sleeping outside their homes considering the frequent movement of elephants, and have asked people to keep outdoor lights on to keep elephants away.