Many households lost valuable appliances and gadgets due to power fluctuations caused by lightning strikes during recent thunderstorms.
This is in addition to hundreds of homes flooded by heavy rains.
Many homes in the South Bengaluru area, including Girinagar, Vidyapeetha and Basavanagudi, have seen electrical appliances such as televisions and refrigerators malfunction. Similar incidents were reported from BEL Road, Hebbal, and surrounding areas.
Girinagar resident Jayaram KS said more than 20 homes remained in the area without electricity, with damage not only to electrical installations but also to home electronic systems.
“The lightning caused a voltage spike. A miniature circuit breaker (MCB) tripped, but damage was already done. We saw a partial breakdown,” he explained.
Several homes reported sparks following the explosion.
Bescom officials opined that people should ensure that an earth-leakage circuit breaker (ELCB) system is installed and the infrastructure is regularly serviced.
“Internal wiring and ELCB systems must be maintained to reliably block power surges. During lightning, there are no surge voltages by Bescom, but electrical, internet and other cables carry high voltage power. The voltage rises because of the conductivity that carries it into the house,” said Nagarjuna D, Technical Director of Bescom.
He added that Bescom has installed lightning arresters at all stations to ensure voltage surges are handled carefully.
Electricians and contractors said moisture content in some equipment and infrastructure may have exacerbated the problem. “Voltage surges will definitely affect systems, but it’s also possible that many people refrained from replacing products damaged by recent floods, which may have caused more problems during lightning strikes. said Santhosh K, an electrical engineer. engineer.
He suggested that proper grounding and efficient ELCB installation could solve the housing problem.
“For high-rise buildings, it is advisable to use lightning rods to avoid direct hits. Fluctuation control devices such as voltage stabilizers can also be used to protect equipment,” he said.
