The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has demanded immediate action by the government against the organised theft of copper wire at its extra high-tension transmission lines.
Reportedly, bandits had cut off wire from 132 kV Pipri-BOC circuit that affected the parallel Gharo-Dhabeji circuit, causing tripping at Dhabeji, BOC and Gharo grid stations.
The theft caused snapping of electricity transmission on first circuit and sent flashes causing isolator fault to the parallel line which resulted in affecting a load of over 48 megawatts in the connected areas including industrial connections.
The thieves had allegedly cut off around 50 metres of copper wire between tower No 21 and 22 of the Pipri-BOC circuit and tried to escape but the KESC guards fired at them, forcing them to escape without the stolen wire.
The KESC maintenance teams were dispatched to the affected EHT circuits that restored the affected lines and electricity supply was normalised.
The targeted theft incident was one of the persistent chain of copper wire thefts which has become a menace to the electricity network in Karachi.
The KESC has so far made several appeals to the government for providing protection at its sensitive installations and power transmission and distribution system but still no adequate security has been provided by the law enforcement authorities to stop this condemnable practice.
The KESC said that it had already provided a list of suspects including junk wire dealers to the authorities but no substantial action has been taken to stop EHT conductors’ theft, which had not only been causing great loss to the power utility but also creating undue difficulties for the general public.
The KESC demanded immediate security protection at all its transmission lines and the distribution network in the interest of 20 million inhabitants of the metropolis.
