STELCO: Want a law to punish those who change the wiring

State Electric Company (STELCO) has said that a regulation must be set to take steps against those who change the wiring after STELCO provides electricity.

Currently, STELCO gives electricity to buildings after testing the power once company or person who is permitted by the Energy Authority does the wiring. But after that, some house owners bring changed to the wiring which results in fire incidents related to electrical shorts.

A STELCO Engineer, Ibrahim Rauf told Sun Media that they have noted the problem of changing the wirings and such after electricity has been provided by the State Electric Company. Rauf highlighted the importance of having a regulation to take measures against the people who do it.

He said that even without a regulation on the wiring, they have been serving fines for “playing” with the meter provided.

Abdul Hameed Adam, an Electrician said that house owners use a permitted person to do the wiring as per the regulation before the STELCO inspection and change it to reduce the power bills after electricity has been provided.

Hameed said that that most fire incidents take place due to electrical shorts from the overload on the wiring. By not using enough earth wiring, the circuit breaker does not come down following a short, Hameed says, which in turn causes a fire.

The number of fire incidents related to electrical shorts has been on the rise recently costing a number of people their homes.