Electric rat control traps in paddy fields taking toll of human lives

There has been an alarming rise in fatalities due to electrocutions across the country in recent years. A huge number of people meet their fatal end in electric traps set for rat control in paddy fields.  

Electric burn patients are rising in large numbers. An Associate Professor of Burn and Plastic Surgery unit at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) told the Daily Observer that more than a third of the people admitted at the DMCH are electric burn patients. Most of them are victims of electrocution in electric traps set for rat control in the rural areas.

Such accidental deaths by electrocution in electric traps are registered as UD cases.  The law enforcers do not register these cases as death due to electrocution by electric traps. So there is no credible data as to how many deaths occur in electric traps set for rat control every year.   

A high official at the police HQs told the Daily Observer that police register most of the incidents as UD cases.

A farmer was killed by electrocution at Kotalipara upazila in Gopalganj district on Friday. The deceased was identified as Nihar Sikder, 45, a resident of Paschim Maspara village.

The use of electric traps for rat control is not recommended as they are too risky to use and can cause the death of animals and people in rice fields.

According to locals, one Mrinal Sarker of Paschim village set an electric trap on his seed field in order to kill mouse. Nihar was electrocuted when he went to the field for fishing.

He died on the spot. Bhangarhaat River Outpost In-charge Md Omar Sharif said police recovered the body from the spot.

A 40-year man was electrocuted to death in a mouse trap laid by himself in his paddy field at Kazira village in Ujirpur upazila of Barishal last year. The deceased was identified as Awal Howladar, son of Ali Howladar of the village.

 "Mistakenly Awal touched the electric mouse trap and got electrocuted," said Ali Arshad, Officer-in-Charge of Ujirpur Police Station.   He was rushed to the upazila health complex, where he was declared dead on arrival. "The body has been handed over to the family," said the OC.

A teenager named Anup Mondal, 13, died after being electrocuted in a rat trap at Nazirpur Upazila in Pirojpur. The incident took place on December last year in the Malikhali union of the upazila. Anup is the son of Asim Mandal.

This tragic incident happened when Anup went to the field behind the house of local farmer Bidhan Mandal. The Boro paddy field was set with electric traps to kill rats. After being recovered from the trap Anup was taken to the Upazila Health Complex where the doctor on duty declared him dead.

According to a government study conducted in 2016 that interviewed some 330,000 people, it was found that 7,163 people were permanently disabled. The number of people killed stood at 9,210 and some 270,622 others were injured due to electric shocks.

Electrocution is considered by physicians to be one of the most devastating injuries since the bulk of the victims are maimed for life. Indeed, DMCH alone treats nearly 35,000 people for burns every year. Electrocution can and does result in amputation of entire limbs and all this has been going on for years.

That people at large lack very basic sense and are generally unaware of handling live wires, is plain to see.

Laws also need to be enacted and enforced that would make electric traps for rat control, building owners or construction site personnel liable for leaving live wires within reach of people.