Gulzar Houz blaze sparks alarm over outdated electrical systems

Time of India

21-05-2025

Hyderabad: The tragic fire at a building in Gulzar Houz on Sunday that killed 17 members of a family, has led to fire safety experts warning that Hyderabad is sitting on an "electrical time bomb.
" Decades-old wiring systems are unable to support the demands of modern households and businesses that use a number of appliances, often causing an overload –– something that also resulted in fire tragedy at the Prahlad Modi household.
Authorities indicated that the fire was likely triggered by a short circuit that caused the air compressor to explode. They added that the system lacked essential safety components like miniature circuit breakers (MCBs), which are designed to protect a circuit from excess current.
"In many older structures, electrical systems have not been upgraded in 40, 50 years, even as residents continue to add heavy-load appliances. Forty years ago, electrical systems were designed to run a fan, a couple of bulbs, and maybe a radio, not a fridge, six ACs, geysers and a washing machine. People don't realise how dangerous it is to keep adding appliances without upgrading the wiring," said Dean Kumar, Professor from JNTU, specialised in structural engineering.
According to M Sridhar, distribution engineer at Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL), Charminar zone, most fires caused by short circuits stem from overheating wires, degraded insulation, or poorly connected joints. "Most residents also remain unaware that their home's electrical system has a capacity limit. The circuit breakers and MCBs help to an extent, but can't always protect against hidden wiring faults," he said.
The Telangana Chief Electrical Inspector to Govt (TGCEIG), the body responsible for overseeing inspection and certification of electrical systems, shared that electrical audits are mandatory every five to ten years for buildings over 20 years old. "However, it is not possible for the department to check each home personally. Residents must come forward with issues. But the awareness is missing," said Sudha Reddy, electrical inspector at TGCEIG.
"Every homeowner or tenant should get a licensed electrician to inspect wiring every five years and avoid daisy-chaining multiple high-power devices on a single plug point," said Reddy, from chief electrical inspector to the state govt. She added, "Replace visible old or brittle wiring immediately and use surge protectors and quality MCBs to manage current flow."