ISLAMABAD: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has imposed a penalty of Rs 10 million on the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) due to its negligence in two fatal incidents.
The first fatal incident occurred on October 24, 2022, when electrician Zain ul Abedeen died while performing routine work at the 500-kV Dadu Grid Station. Another fatal accident took place on March 15, 2023, during the rehabilitation work (re-jumpering of the blue phase) of tower No. 252 at the 500 kV Guddu-Shikarpur Circuit-I, which resulted in the death of Khair Bux, LM-II.
Nepra directed NTDC to constitute an Inquiry Committee (IC) and submit a detailed report, with emails sent on April 17, 2023, May 03, 2023, and May 22, 2023. In response, NTDC submitted the Preliminary Inquiry Reports on June 1, 2023, after an eight-month delay. NTDC was also directed to address the findings of the IC’s investigation. However, NTDC only addressed the Show Cause Notice (SCN) paragraphs, and failed to provide a comprehensive explanation or submit the Final Inquiry Report before the investigation commenced.
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A key issue raised by Nepra was that NTDC reported these incidents far too late. The Preliminary Inquiry Reports were submitted after eight months, which violated the timely reporting requirements. Furthermore, NTDC failed to highlight the cause, and manner of the deaths in both incidents, which further compounded the issue.
Nepra identified poor supervision, the lack of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and Tools & Plant (T&Ps), and failure to adhere to safety protocols as the root causes of these fatalities. While it was clear that the employees were not at fault, the responsibility for these incidents lies squarely on the shoulders of NTDC field formations—such as the Line Supervisor (LS), Foreman, and the permit issuer and receiver—who failed to follow established safety procedures.
NTDC’s involvement in tasks that should have been handled by contractors also raised concerns. Specifically, NTDC workers were engaged in work that was the contractor’s responsibility, raising serious questions about the management’s oversight, particularly from the GM/CE of NTDC at the time of the incident.
Additionally, the failure to use a voltage detector for induction voltage during work on double circuit transmission lines was not there, which is a widely practiced safety measure, putting maintenance personnel at significant risk.
In its response, NTDC reiterated that all operational tasks were carried out according to due procedures and safety protocols, but this claim contradicted the findings of the Inquiry Committee. As per Nepra’s Power Safety Code 2021, NTDC was required to provide a job plan and conduct a Risk Assessment/ Job Safety Analysis. However, NTDC failed to demonstrate adherence to these requirements.
The statement from NTDC claiming that the Foreman and his team were “constrained” by the contractor, M/s Sunir Iran Power Company, to assist during the execution of the job pointed to a failure in NTDC’s management. It raised concerns over the influence of contractors in NTDC’s daily operations and highlighted a lack of authority within NTDC’s senior leadership.
The submissions from NTDC regarding the hiring of a crane on rent were accepted, but overall, the Authority observed several violations of Nepra Act, Grid Code, and Safety Code, along with inadequate training and supervision within the organization.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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