Andhra Pradesh: Power theft on the rise in aqua sector
The department booked as many as 480 cases against aqua farmers.
Nellore: Despite frequent raids and huge penalties being levied by vigilance sleuths of AP Southern Power Distribution Company, aqua farmers continue to tap power illegally in Nellore district.
The department booked as many as 480 cases against aqua farmers for pilfering power last year and collected Rs three crore as penalty, yet the practice of stealing power continues.
The gadgets fixed for transformers to monitor overall consumption under each transformer are coming in handy for the vigilance team to carry out the raids not only in case of aqua connections but also in other sectors.
According to APSPDCL officials, consumption under each transformer is being observed once in every three months using robust methods to detect power thefts. As of now consumption less than ten per cent of the transformers are under the scanner.
The vigilance and power theft squad of APSPDCL manned by police personnel are also devising new strategies in association with Detection of Pilferage of Energy (DPE) wing to prevent power theft especially in the aqua sector.
The vigilance and power theft squad, Nellore wing Inspector M. Nageswaramma said they along with DPE conduct joint raids almost on weekly basis.
The DPE is an exclusive wing of APSPDCL that detects the pilferage based on the difference between the actual consumption and billing, the inspector said.
According to Ms Nageswaramma, power thefts are rampant in the aqua sector despite bringing down the unit cost by 50 per cent while referring to 537 cases booked in 2015 as against 480 in 2016 from January to December.
She said those taking the aqua ponds on lease are committing the thefts and even repeating it knowing fully well that the second offence attracts legal action.
She said APSPDCL has been paying special attention to prevent power thefts and deputing the vigilance teams to different districts on frequent intervals.
She reminded that they have booked 53 cases and held a linesman and two clerks working in APSPDCL for power pilferage in 2014 at Vakadu in Nellore district.