Electricity cuts to be in sync with line losses

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 7

The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) here has launched a drive to contain line losses by imposing power cuts of various duration in areas where power pilferage or theft has been a cause for concern.

Power cuts up to four hours have been imposed in five of total 18 subdivisions where line losses are between 30 per cent and 63 per cent, it is revealed. Though the average line loss is around 10 per cent, the problem of power pilferage or theft has been serious in 36 feeders where line losses are above 30 per cent. The circle has 535 feeders at present. Where the feeders have line losses of 25 per cent to 30 per cent, the cut will be for two hours, the power supply may remain affected for four hours where line losses are above 30 per cent. The feeder at Anangpur village in Mathura Road subdivision has the highest line losses of 63.29 per cent, followed by Sector 55 feeder with line losses of 59.27 per cent at present. The Sihi village feeder in Industrial area subdivision has line losses of 53.23 per cent. Of 36 feeders having line losses of 30 per cent or more, 28 are located in rural areas.

There are over 5.01 lakh consumers in the circle, but the problem of line losses is prevalent mainly in heavily populated colonies or rural parts where the recovery of bills has been a major issue. Mewla Maharajpur, paternal village of Krishan Pal Gurjar, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, falls in the area where line losses are to the tune of 42.67 per cent.

PK Chauhan, Superintending Engineer (SE), Faridabad Circle, said that the motive behind power cuts was to curtail line losses. Besides shifting of meters outside the premises of the consumers, the Nigam has replaced open wires with rubber-coated ones in several areas, he added. The recovery of bills, which was 97 per cent, was likely to be rise to 100 per cent by March this year, he claimed.