Hosts of various functions on roads indulge in stealing power by hook or by crook
Nagpur: Amid the hot topic of load-shedding, low power generation and the blame game, one aspect is being overlooked that has a direct connection to the prevailing situation.
Power is being stolen in lanes and streets in Nagpur City right under the nose of MSEDCL bosses. Or for that matter, power theft is taking place at each and every village, town and city across Maharashtra in massive scale with no curbs at all.
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At a time when the cash-starved MSEDCL has been spreading its hands and “begging” the power consumers to pay the current and pending dues for its very survival, the power company, it seems, turning a blind eye to the rampant power theft being indulged during birthday parties, marriage receptions and many other programmes organized on roads by erecting makeshift pandals. In 98% of these functions, the hosts steal power directly from electric poles by hook or by crook. The organizers spend lavishly on birthday parties, marriage receptions, and many more functions by erecting pandals on roads and save huge money by way of rents at halls or lawns. But these very hosts don’t mind stealing power from electric poles directly with the help of some ‘technicians’ and dent revenue of MSEDCL in a big way. The modus operandi is simple: Tap into a power line from a point ahead of the energy meter. This energy consumption is unmeasured and procured with or without switches. It not only causes huge losses to the State-owned power utility, already crumbling under heavy losses, but poses life-threatening hazards to the hosts and their invitees with severe electric shock or fire outbreak.
Now-a-days it has become fashionable to organize birthday parties, marriage receptions, or any other functions, on roads by erecting makeshift pandals. The organizers of such functions audaciously take power supply directly from the nearby electric poles by connecting wires with a hook with the help of “technicians” deputed by pandal erectors. The power theft is rampant as 98% organizers of such functions shamelessly indulge in the stealing act to save some money.
The top MSEDCL bosses do not dare to feign ignorance about this power theft. In Nagpur City, a function with a pandal on one street or another takes place regularly. And Nagpur has thousands of lanes and streets and the programmes in pandals are being organized daily in one locality or another.
The sordid episode of power theft on streets is not limited to Nagpur City. The menace has spread to each village, town and city across Maharashtra. One can imagine the loss the MSEDCL bears with the power theft.
The DJ Music organizers at many functions also take power supply illegally from the electric poles and thus indulge in power theft. The illegal act of power theft not only dents MSEDCL revenue but also poses life-threatening hazards at the pandals. A number of electrocution cases have been reported every year.
Further, many Illegal stalls, Ganesh Pandals, Durga Pandals, do not take official temporary connections and manage electricity from nearby MSEDCL poles. Not only the pandals, but even the approach roads and lanes nearby the functions are illuminated with tube-lights and colourful bulbs with this illegal power supply. Pandals violate norms and draw power without permission and temporary connections, that are mandatory for all mandals.
Traffic nuisance is another aspect of pandals on roads. However, only the local residents have the apt words to narrate their ordeal.
Apart from pandals on roads, electricity is being stolen on a massive scale at different construction sites. The contractors or builders manage to procure direct power supply through unauthorized cables connected to power poles.The modus operandi is putting hooks on the supply lines.
However, different ways of power thefts are giving a slip to the MSEDCL, placing a serious challenge before them. In some cases, the culprits are now bypassing the underground cables by taping the main power line. This method not only saves them from the efforts of meter tampering, but also gives minimum power bills and huge damage to the power company.
The menace of power theft is one that has put the MSEDCL in financial doldrums. Power theft inhibits social progress, affecting domestic, commercial and industrial consumers in varied magnitudes. Electricity suppliers are in financial turmoil as pilferers have caught up with modern metering systems.
Recently, MSEDCL issued a statement saying, “Mahavitaran, which is a company which works on a ‘no profit no loss’ (revenue neutral) basis, is also a consumer and has a liability of crores of rupees on electricity purchase, transmission costs as well as various loans and installments. On the other hand, Mahavitaran has a huge mountain of arrears of Rs 71,578 crore. Due to this serious financial crisis, the very existence of Mahavitaran is in question. Mahavitaran charges bills from residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, public services and other consumers only as per the rates fixed by the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission and consumers pay for the electricity that they have used. However, Mahavitaran will have no option but to disconnect the power supply of those who do not pay their bills as there is an unprecedented amount of arrears and increasing financial burden,” MSEDCL said.
But the moot question is: Will the top MSEDCL bosses give a thought in curbing the power theft on streets with a ‘powerful’ hand?
