Noida: FIRs filed, payments recovered in power theft crackdown

NOIDA: Power distribution firm Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) in Noida uncovered power theft of over 9,000 watts during an inspection drive conducted on late Thursday at the 33/11 KV electricity substation in Dankaur, officials said on Friday.

The drive aimed to reduce power losses, enforce compliance, and penalise unauthorised power use. It focused on Unchi Dankaur, an area with high power transmission losses, and disconnected 12 long-unpaid connections apart from recovering dues from five consumers who had never paid their bills while increasing load for multiple accounts, officials said.

Inspections were carried out on a total of 25 connections and of these five instances of electricity thefts were identified with a cumulative load of 4,126 watts. Action was taken, and first information reports (FIRs) were registered against the offenders under relevant sections of the law, officials at PVVNL, Noida said.

“Our inspection drive uncovered 11 cases of power theft, amounting to a combined unauthorised load of over 9,200 watts. We have filed FIRs against all offenders and recovered ₹2.86 lakh in dues. Tackling power theft is crucial for maintaining an efficient power supply,” said Rahul Sharma, executive engineer, PVVNL Noida.

The drive also involved the Rabupura town line-loss feeder, where 24 connections were examined, leading to discovery of six additional instances of power theft, with a total load of 5,076 watts. Later, FIRs were lodged against the individuals involved.

To be sure, there are around 200,000 registered power consumers in Noida under PVVNL’s jurisdiction, according to officials.

“Such actions are essential not only to ensure fair billing practices but also to strengthen the efficiency of our power distribution network. These efforts contribute to a more sustainable and reliable power supply for our consumers,” said chief engineer, PVVNL Noida, Harish Bansal.

In October, PVVNL Noida, during intensive enforcement drive snapped power connections of as many as 98 consumers while ₹26.13 lakh was recovered on-site. Three first information reports were registered under the Electricity Act for the offence.