New Delhi, August 3, 2022: Tata Power-DDL, a leading utility supplying electricity to a populace of 7 million in North Delhi, appeals to Delhiites not to fly kites near electrical installations and overhead power lines ahead of the festival season.
The kite string, popularly termed as ‘Manjha’ often gets in contact and entangled with the overhead live wire. The widespread use of metal-coated manjha poses a great danger not only to the person flying the kite but may also disrupt the electricity supply of an area. Kite-flying is popular especially around Independence Day in Delhi. According to estimates, tripping of one 33/66 KV overhead line can disrupt the power supply to over 10,000 residents of an area and tripping of a single 11KV line to over 2,500 residents. It can take anywhere between15 minutes to 2 hours to deal with damage caused by kite-flying to power cables.
Each year, there are several instances of kite-flying-related trippings. It is noteworthy here that disrupting the power supply and causing damage to power equipment is punishable under the Electricity Act and the Delhi Police Act.
The use of manjha which is coated with glass and metal particles endangers the lives of humans, birds and other animals. Besides, the manjha has been banned by the government since 2017. The government order also only permits the usage of cotton thread, which is free from any metals.
Commenting on the occasion, Subrata Das, chief, Operations and Safety, Tata Power Delhi Distribution, said, “Safety of our customers is our utmost priority. Unsafe kite flying may cause not only interruptions in power supply due to short-circuiting but also lead to severe injuries, fatalities or incidences of major breakdowns of transmission lines. This Independence Day, we urge everyone to celebrate responsibly and take appropriate safety measures while enjoying the festivities.”
Tata Power Delhi Distribution is running a dedicated FM Campaign in order to sensitise the masses about the perils of unsafe kite-flying and also a social media campaign using its corporate mascot Roshni for giving tips on precautions to be taken while flying kites in the form of creatives and short videos. It is also sensitising school children about the dos and don’ts to be kept in mind while flying kites by conducting online sessions in coordination with several schools in Delhi. The company has also deployed banners across major locations in its area to create awareness among its consumers.
In the run-up to Independence Day, the company’s Operations and Maintenance teams are on constant vigil to take care of any kite-flying-related contingencies. Consumers can report any unsafe situation or untoward incident on the company’s dedicated 24x7 toll-free helpline number 19124.
