Hyderabad: An electric fence incident in Bandalingampalli left a farmer injured after he accidentally came into contact with a live wire set up to protect crops from monkeys, locals said.
The incident occurred on Friday in the outskirts of the village. According to local residents, farmer Gundam Srinivas Reddy installed an electric fence around his paddy field to prevent damage from monkeys.
He then left the field after setting up the connection. Meanwhile, another farmer, Janga Bhaskar Reddy, entered a neighbouring field to collect fodder for his cattle.
During this time, he came into contact with the live electric line and suffered a shock in the electric fence incident. He narrowly escaped with his life but sustained injuries to his hands and legs.
Nearby farmers immediately shifted him to a private hospital in Sircilla. He is currently undergoing treatment, according to locals.
Electric fence incident raises safety concerns
Residents said such practices have become common in the region. Farmers often install illegal electric lines along fields to protect crops from wild animals.
They noted that similar electric fencing stretches along the Maneru stream from Mallareddypet to a nearby bridge. These setups, they said, have resulted in several accidental deaths of unsuspecting people.
Police and electricity department officials have issued repeated warnings against such practices. However, farmers continue to use electric fencing to safeguard crops, leading to recurring electric fence incident cases.
Locals said stricter action by authorities could help prevent such accidents. They added that enforcement measures may reduce fatalities linked to illegal electric fencing.