WCA September 2013

India

Wire & Cable ASIA – September/October 2013

bigstockphoto.com – photographers – Angelika Smile and Pokaz

Increasing loads on inadequate electrical

wiring have caused a rise in fire emergencies

across the city of Peshawar, gutting homes.

Fire caused by short circuits is among the

most common electrical mishaps in the city.

“Our reports prove the clear and exact cause

of fire in shops and houses was short

circuits,” Rescue 1122 public relation officer

Bilal Faizi told

The Express Tribune

A short circuit usually occurs when a wire’s

insulation wears off and the charge flows

along a path it was not intended for, causing

an excessive electric current.

Between January and mid-June, 82 major

fire-related emergencies have been due to

short circuits, the largest being fires in

Jhanda Bazar, Kala Mandi, Ali Public School,

Nothia, and several recent fires in shopping

malls.

Shopkeepers were eager to pass on the

blame to building planners. “The internal

wiring does not meet any acceptable

standards even in larger shopping plazas,”

complained a shop owner in Jhanda Bazaar,

where several shops were gutted, adding:

“When nothing is done to upgrade the system,

there can only be more problems.”

As temperatures soar, almost every house in

the city has air conditioners or air coolers.

This is in addition to the usual electric load of

a household – irons, microwave ovens,

dishwashers, freezers, computers and

electronic gadgets – but while the internal

wiring remains the same, the system is

stretched beyond its limit.

India

Over-burdened

wires blamed for

rise in fires