The state power distribution utility—the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) has around 16,000 feeders, of which around 1,300 have losses of over 45%.
To reduce pilferage of electricity and to ensure better supply, the state government is planning to install an underground power distribution network in all cities and towns in Maharashtra.
At present, Mumbai has an underground electricity distribution network, while cities like Pune, Navi Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad are partially covered by a similar system. An underground system helps ensure reliable power supply and reduces chances of disruptions and pilferage as compared to a network of overground wires.
"We are planning to set up an underground electricity distribution network in all municipal corporations and municipal councils," said energy minister Chandrashekhar Bavankule, noting that this would reduce power distribution losses. He added that they had prepared a Rs8,000 crore plan under the Union ministry of power's Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS).
Maharashtra has 26 municipal corporations, 226 municipal councils and 13 nagar panchayats.
The IPDS aims at strengthening the distribution and sub-transmission networks in urban areas, metering of distribution transformers, feeders and consumers and IT-enabling the distribution sector.
Bavankule said that in order to reduce distribution losses and power thefts, they had decided to move to a 'feeder management committee' approach, in which a graduate degree holder in electrical engineering and five ITI diploma holders will be given charge of a feeder. They will replace the existing system of around seven contractors per feeder for meter reading, bill collections and feeder maintenance and servicing, and will also be responsible for controlling power thefts. These committees will get incentives for increasing the bill recovery.
"Our priority is to reduce power rates and distribution losses to ensure that power tariffs for consumers come down to the levels that they were in 2010," said Bavankule.
The state power distribution utility—the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) has around 16,000 feeders, of which around 1,300 have losses of over 45%. It carries out load shedding on feeders where distribution and commercial losses stand over 42% in urban areas and 45% in rural pockets. These power outages cover around 15% of Maharashtra.
Bavankule added that they were planning to use the SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system at the feeder level to track theft of power when it is distributed from the feeder to transformers and further to consumers.
He said they were also planning a solar energy policy, a power conservation policy which makes it mandatory for all buildings to have solar power heaters to get municipal permissions, and promote installation of LEDs and energy audits.
Plugging the leaks
Year Distribution loss
2005-06 31.72%
2006-07 29.50%
2007-08 24.09%
2012-13 14.67%
2011-12 16.03%
2014-15 14% (estimated)
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