The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) has expressed grave concern over the recent surge in the theft of extra high tension (EHT) wires from live transmission circuits that is resulting in colossal material loss and uncalled for power outages, in addition to the burden of extra repair and replacement work. According to a press statement issued by the power utility, approximately 570 metres of extra high tension conductors were stolen during the month of December 2011 while this quantity grew to about 730 metres during January 2012. These unchecked and intentional malicious acts of thefts by the thieves create misery for KESC’s unsuspecting customers, who then believe that it is a technical fault on the utility’s end, though the truth is far from it.
In fact the theft of EHT wires is creating losses worth millions of rupees for the KESC, as such unplanned outages lead to excessive wear and tear of expensive equipment of the distribution network. There had been three wire theft incidents only on the night of February 2, one at about 1:50am at 132kV Dhabeji/BOC circuit, which tripped between tower 76 and 77.
Around three quarters’ span of conductor was taken away by thieves but was recovered by security guards. Next morning, at about 5:25am, a theft attempt on the 132kV KDA/Maymar circuit between towers 65 and 66 followed an exchange of fire between security guards and thieves. But the thieves were able to take away three quarters’ span of conductor under the cover of gunshots.
This forced the utility to conduct a shutdown at the circuit for the replacement of wire, affecting some areas of Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Mauripur, North Karachi and Orangi grids. The third incident took place at Khayaban-e-Rizwan in DHA-VII from where thieves stole 35 kilogrammes of blue phase wire. On the night of Febraury 1, one span of neutral wire was stolen from the 11th commercial street of DHA-II, weighing 12 kilogrammes while another span of neutral wire weighing 12 kilogrammes was stolen from the 31st street at Khayaban-e-Shamsheer. On February 5, cable from the bushing to the distribution box was stolen from Haqqani Masjid PMT, Sikandarabad, Sheerin Jinnah Colony.
Even cables from the internal wiring of consumers have been stolen. A complaint was received from a customer of Bath Island about the theft of 30 metres of 16mm service cable causing outage at his residence. The KESC said the general nature of theft – cutting down of mostly live 132kV transmission lines from high erect towers itself – speaks of some expert hands behind the series of incidents as it was a high risk thievery unlikely to be carried out by common thieves. This was enough lead for law enforcement agencies to get hold of these elements as the number of such trained criminals could be very limited and easily identifiable. The KESC has already identified the copper junk dealers, who purchase the stolen utility wires.
The KESC asked the law enforcement agencies to exercise vigilance through night patrol to crush the organised cable theft, which had been brought under control by the utility’s own security until the recent past, but later some arrested members of the wire thieves’ mafia were released on bail, resulting in a rise in wire theft.
