Ranchi: With the festival season commencing on Monday with Ganesh Chaturthi, the electrical inspectorate wing of energy department on Saturday issued a comprehensive safety advisory for temporary pandal wiring.The advisory said all electrical installations at pandals must comply with the Indian Electricity Rules and Regulations. Organisers have been directed to make proper earthing arrangements, including the construction of at least two dedicated earth pits for each pandal. All metallic structures and electrical equipment must also be effectively grounded.Prafull Kumar Gupta, senior electrical inspector, Ranchi, said organising committees must obtain formal load approval from Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) before starting electrification or decorative lighting work.He said control rooms should be located away from crowded areas to ensure easy access for electrical personnel during emergencies. Temporary power installations must be carried out only by licensed contractors and monitored round the clock by a certified electrical supervisor stationed in the control room.The advisory directed organisers to use only ISI-marked equipment and wiring of the appropriate gauge based on the total electrical load. Damaged or severed cables have been prohibited. Where joints are unavoidable, they must be properly insulated with electrical tape. The use of three-pin plugs and sockets, along with correctly rated fuse wires in cut-outs, has also been made mandatory.Generators must be installed as per safety norms and fitted with main and changeover switches of adequate capacity. Control rooms must be equipped with rubber mats, fire extinguishers, dry sand buckets, electric shock charts, first-aid kits, danger boards and rubber gloves.The advisory also stressed that pandals and welcome arches must maintain a safe distance from overhead power lines. At road crossings, cables should either be laid underground or suspended using GI bearer wires so that vehicular movement is not obstructed. Organisers have also been asked to provide separate entry and exit gates for better crowd management.Ranchi deputy commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri reviewed festival preparedness on Saturday and directed power officials to remain highly vigilant. He ordered regular inspections of temporary wiring at puja venues and instructed officials to take immediate action against any violations of electrical safety standards.
