Discoms launch major drive to check power theft

Power discoms BYPL and BRPL have launched a major drive against power theft under which 500 raids are to be conducted across the city over the next three months.

For increased effectiveness of the drive and to detect power-theft of various types, the raids are being carried out round the clock with the two companies saying they are determined to punish those involved in such acts.

The campaign will continue for a period of three-months and over 150 areas will be targeted across South, West, East and Central Delhi.

"The intensity and effectiveness of the campaign can be gauged from the fact that in the first few days of the drive alone, over 3,800-KW or nearly 4-MW of power-theft load has been unearthed and over 1,000 cases have been registered," said a BSES official.

Some of the areas where raids were conducted in the last few days include Tilak Nagar, Palam, Nangloi, Jaffarpur, Bindapur, Munirka, Tigri, Mehrauli, Harkesh Nagar, Govindpuri, Jamia Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Kalyanpuri, New Ashok Nagar, Gazipur Village, Trilokpuri, Raghubar Pura, Gandhi Nagar, Daryaganj, Chooriwalan Chandni Chowk, New Qasabpura Paharganj and Karawal Nagar.

To ensure protection to the raiding teams, assistance of Delhi Police is being taken, the official said.

"Looking at the seriousness of the offence, Delhi Police have also started registering spot FIRs against power thieves, even arresting them on the spot," he added.

To undertake these enforcement raids with greater accuracy, the discoms are relying on modern technology.

"Energy input data from the over 9,500 Distribution Transformers (DT) is being collated and analysed by a centralised team and power-theft locations are being narrowed down significantly," he said.

Since July, 2002, BSES discoms have booked over 2.5 lakh cases and unearthed a power theft load of over 7.65 lakh-KW.