tamperfinderNAGPUR: It will not be only the city police, which will be patrolling the city roads on the night of December 31. MSEDCL squads would be out too keeping an eye on power theft. A MSEDCL spokesperson said that owners of many dhabas, restaurants, hotels, etc decorate their premises with electric lighting on New Year’s Eve. “They also hire radio and disc jockeys, who use musical equipment that draw lot of power. They should take a temporary power connection. However, instead of paying their bills honestly they illegally draw power from the nearby electric lines using hooks. This is rampant,” he added. MSEDCL regional director Bhalchandra Khandait has also asked substation operators to monitor the load. “If the load increases suddenly then somebody may be drawing power illegally. The operators should immediately alert the patrolling squads in this case,” said the spokesperson. The discom has warned that those caught pilfering power will be booked for power theft under Section 135 of Electricity Act, 2003. “We will also ask the concerned government department to cancel their license. Our officials will follow up such cases,” he said. The spokesperson also said that many such establishments burst crackers near electrical equipments like transformers, which can prove dangerous. “It is safer to take a temporary power connection and a separate neutral wire should be fitted for it. Same is the case with generators. There have been incidents where people have got electrocuted by current produced by e only the city police, which will be p ..
R The establishment owners should ensure that if there are loose connections they should be tightened. If the insulation has come off then electric tape should be stuck over such spots. MSEDCL has intensified its drive against power thieves and defaulters in recent months as its financial condition is precarious. Recently, power supply of 11,000 consumers in Vidarbha was disconnected for non-payment of bills above Rs5,000. [The Times of India]
Add comment