Shocking power thefts in the city

One of the common causes of a sizable loss in electricity power during transmission is due to power theft. While most of us are unaware of such a theft, statistics made available by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) reveals that electricity, worth several crores of rupees, is stolen every year. 

TANGEDCO usually hits the headlines when it opens new power stations or when power outages during peak summer, attracting consumers’ ire. But what not many know is that its enforcement wing, which is on the job round the clock, brings to book errant consumers who indulge in power theft. In the financial year 2015- 2016, the enforcement wing detected 3,833 power thefts, leading to a provisional assessment of Rs.23.83 crore and compounding fees of Rs.3.20 crore, a top  TANGEDCO official said. 

From April 2016 to September- end 79,453, official inspection led to detection of 1.23 crore stolen units of power resulting in provisional assessment of Rs.15.58 crore and Rs.1.86 crore compounding fees. In the same period, between April and September 2016, of the 2,269 thefts detected, the highest (978) was in domestic connections, followed by 753 commercial connections, with the Low Tension (industrial) and agricultural fields recording 181 and 132 thefts respectively.  In contrast, only 2 thefts were recorded in the High Tension sector. 

Power theft methods include direct hook, direct tapping , bypassing meter, meter tampering, meter tilting, seal tampering, affixing bogus seals, reversing Connections, neutral cut/neutral by-pass, damaging meters and metering equipment, illegally restoring disconnected supply, un-authorized use of electricity and malfunctioning of meter reading through external applications. In the year 2015-2016, unauthorised use of electricity accounted for 989 cases, followed by 437 direct tapping, 395 meter by-pass, 261 direct hook, 29 meter tampering and 140 illegal restoration of power cases. 

Though public provide information about power theft and though TANGEDCO can give them cash awards, informers shy away and always call from public booths and withhold their names. From the 1980s’, only 3 informers have given cash awards. Many informers say they fear being victimised by local bigwigs. The wing gets information through phone calls, IVRs, written petition, anonymous and pseudonymous petitions, inspections, night, surprise raids and mass raids, energy consumption pattern and scientific analysis. 

To overcome this, TANGEDCO has installed IVRS (Intra Voice Recording System) at enforcement division Offices for the public to inform them of power thefts. The numbers are Chennai: 044- 28412906; Coimbatore o422- 2499560; Madurai 0452- 2422166 and Trichy 0431- 2537508. Asked about political parties stealing power from overhead lines, officials said, “Most parties use generators now though they did resort to such habits in the past. Now the police themselves ask parties approaching them for permission for meetings to get a NOC from the TNEB which makes our jobs easier.” 

However, when consumers of domestic, HT, agricultural and one- hut schemes do not use electricity for the purpose for which it was intended, it is labelled as power theft and swift and stiff penalties result. “The anti-theft squad formed in 1983 was re-designated the enforcement wing in 2002 and today 17 enforcement squads, each headed by an assistant engineer function in the state. They are controlled by executive engineers in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Trichy. A flying squad and Intelligence Wing are part of the Enforcement wing and all 19 squads supervised by superintending engineer (Enforcement) Chennai come under DGP (Vigilance) TANGEDCO,” said the official.

Section 135(1) of Electricity Act, 2003 as amended by the Electricity (amendment) Act , 2007 defines power theft as, “whoever dishonestly, (a) taps, makes or causes to be make any connection with overhead, underground or under water lines or cables, or service wires, or service facilities of a licensee or supplier or (b) tampers a meter, installs/uses a tampered meter, current reversing transformer, loop connection or any device or method interfering with accurate registration, calibration or metering of electric current resulting electricity being stolen or wasted; or (c) damages or destroys an electric meter, apparatus, equipment, or wire or causes or allows any of them to be damaged or destroyed to interfere with accurate electricity metering or (d) uses electricity through a tampered meter; or (e) uses electricity for the purpose other than for which its usage was authorised.”