Kashmir engineer designs app-based system to prevent linemen electrocutions

Anantnag, Jan 6: A 23-year-old computer engineering graduate from south Kashmir has introduced a prototype, app-based safety system that automatically cuts electricity supply when a lineman begins repair work on power lines and restores it only after the worker confirms the job is complete, a move aimed at preventing accidental electrocution.

“The idea is simple: power should go off when a lineman goes up the pole and come back only when he comes down safely,” said Zahid Bashir, a resident of Brakpora village in Anantnag district and a graduate of the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST).

The system, called the PDD Smart Safety Shield, combines a mobile application with an Integrated Internet of Things (IoT) mechanism to replace verbal coordination with a digital shutdown-and-restore protocol.

“Most accidents happen because shutdowns are based on phone calls and assumptions,” Bashir said. “This system makes the process verifiable and instrument-driven.”

Before starting work, linemen authenticate themselves on the Android-based application using OTP (One-Time Password) verification, enabling them to initiate a single-click shutdown of the power supply.

“Only a logged-in lineman can trigger the shutdown,” Bashir said. “Once he clicks the button, the command reaches the receiving station instantly.”

At the receiving station, the command activates a relay connected to Pin 23, which trips the contactor and physically disconnects the electricity supply.

“This ensures the line is completely de-energised and not just assumed to be off,” Bashir said.

The shutdown is immediately reflected through visual safety indicators at the station, including a red LED or bulb connected to Pin 19 and a warning message displayed on an LCD screen.

“The screen clearly reads ‘LINEMAN IS ON WORK – DON’T TOUCH,’ so there is no ambiguity for anyone entering the station,” Bashir said.

Engineers and inspectors are given master login access to monitor line status and staff activity, but the system prevents them from restoring power unless the lineman completes the safety cycle.

“The authority is shared, but safety is not compromised,” Bashir said. “No one can re-energise the line unless the lineman logs out.”

Once the repair work is completed, the lineman logs back into the application and initiates the restore command, triggering a visible status change at the receiving station.

“When the work is over, the display changes to ‘LINE RESTORED’ and a green LED connected to Pin 18 lights up,” Bashir said. “Only then is the line cleared for power supply.”

He gave a live demonstration of how the app operates and the mechanism it follows.

Bashir said the project was motivated by repeated incidents in which linemen, many of them casual labourers were electrocuted after power was restored without their knowledge.

“The lineman is the last man in the chain and the most exposed,” he said. “Many deaths happen because someone at the receiving station does not know he is working on the line.”

He cited a recent incident in Monghal village where a lineman lost his life while repairing a fault, adding that the victim’s father had also died years earlier under similar circumstances.

“This kind of tragedy should not happen again,” Bashir said.

The system also includes a public grievance module, allowing consumers to report faults through the application.

“This helps the department respond faster and keeps a digital record of maintenance work,” Bashir said.

The Smart Safety Shield remains a prototype and has not yet been formally adopted by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. (KPDCL).

“I have approached KPDCL officials for a demonstration and will be going there soon,” Bashir said. “If even one life is saved, this effort will be worth it.”