High-Flying Justice: Drones to Crack Down Power Theft in Uttar Pradesh.

Certain people are predisposed to commit crimes when there is a possibility of escaping detection. This also holds for instances of electricity theft. The likelihood of utility staff visiting frequently and accessing the metering equipment without notifying the property owner reduces the likelihood of power theft. There would always be the chance of an unexpected inspection. On the other hand, the user has every opportunity to steal power if the electricity meters are placed in locations that are difficult for the provider to examine. When an inspector arrives, the property owner generally has some time to make any adjustments that are required before the official begins the inspection. This is one of the causes of electricity theft, which typically occurs in densely populated regions.

To combat electricity theft in high-line loss areas, the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is utilising drones. To collect evidence against electricity thieves, staff members deploy drones to monitor homes and premises on small roads at night and in the early morning. This technique was initially applied in Saadatganj and Shardanagar, where twelve premises were found to be utilising illicit connections, prompting authorities to file lawsuits against at least eleven people. In Hata Noor Beg, around six in the morning, a junior engineer conducted the most recent drone raid. The drone discovered a large number of coolers and air conditioners running on unauthorised connections. He claims that this kind of stealing necessitates access to roofs, which may result in conflicts. He went on to say that recording illicit acts will become much easier with the wise application of drone technology. The news article regarding the detection of energy theft above begs the issue of who is in charge of these drones’ functioning. This is important, and people started to raise privacy concerns. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, of 2023, however, spares government organisations from obtaining consent before gathering this kind of information. It is not yet known who is on the list of government entities that are excluded, though.

The video of individuals fixing the “Katia connections” and pulling it off in the morning was obtained by the utilities using drones. The law enforcement officials had concrete proof when they stormed these homes in an attempt to cut off their connections. Hindustan Times reports that five air conditioners were discovered to be operating inside a mosque located in Shardanagar. Drone technology has the potential to revolutionise law enforcement by improving the efficiency of the activity identification and recording when utilised responsibly. However, since North India is already boiling, a simple increase in load in ampere at night does not always indicate electricity theft. Not just from the intense heat, but also from having to pay for a malfunctioning electricity system.