BSES discoms begin mass crackdown on power theft

BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) have launched one of their biggest crackdowns on power theft in recent times, with over 500 mass raids planned over the next three months.  

‘To begin with, this campaign will continue for a period of three-months and over 150 areas will be targeted across south, west, east and central Delhi,’ said a BSES spokesperson.

Some of the areas where raids have recently been conducted include, Tilak Nagar, Palam, Nangloi, Jaffarpur and Bindapur, Munirka, Tigri, Mehrauli, Harkesh Nagar, Gobindpuri, Jamia Nagar and Sangam Vihar, Kalyanpuri, Gandhi Nagar, Daryaganj, Chooriwalan Chandni Chowk, New Qasabpura Paharganj and Karawal Nagar, etc.

‘BSES teams often come under attack from unscrupulous elements, while undertaking such mass-raids. To protect them, many raid teams are being accompanied by Delhi police personnel, who have extended full cooperation. Looking at the seriousness of the offence, the Delhi police has also started to register spot FIR’s against power thieves, including procedures to arrest them,’ the spokesperson said.

To undertake these enforcement raids with greater accuracy, discoms are relying on modern analytics and technology. For the purpose, energy input data from the over 9,500 Distribution Transformers (DT) is being collated and analyzed by a centralized team, which allows them to narrow down power-theft locations significantly.

According to a BSES spokesperson, ‘It is seen that during the summer months, there is a sharp increase in energy-theft. This leads to severe over-loading of the distribution system (transformers / feeders), which result in trippings and is also a potential safety hazard. This dangerous overloading of the distribution system can also damage distribution equipment. These 500+ mass raids will also assist in checking this menace’.

‘Simultaneous to these raids, BSES has also been sprucing-up its service lines and undertaking associated work in these targeted areas. It is also facilitating new connections’, the spokesperson added.