Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Jan 22: In the past two months, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has carried out more than 30,000 inspection drives across Kashmir division to check hooking on bare conductor lines and use of crude appliances.
Managing Director for KPDCL Mussarat Zia said, “In past two months, the distribution company has taken a proactive approach and we have done nearly 30,000 to 35,000 inspections and disconnections throughout the night.”
Zia said that the team of KPDCL has saved hundreds and thousands of units of energy during the number of inspection drives.
“Thousands of households in smart meter areas have stopped hooking because of the power theft videos we have put on social media wherein we showcase the particular household stealing the government energy without showing their faces,” he said.
The managing director said that the move is not meant to embarrass them but to create a positive approach among them.
Zia further said that hooking is a mass society issue. “This is not being done in one particular area. Majority of the people who are on bare conductors are hooking and our team has reported that wherever the bare conductors are through the nearest distance of the household, multiple hooking is being done there.”
He said, “Those people who are on bare conductors and smart meters are the worst hooking areas.”
“We have observed that many of our consumers with smart meters are either keeping their smart meters off or are putting it under the lowest possible load during the wee hours. During the night time, they put hooks on the bare conductors to evade the consumed energy,” Zia said.
The managing director added that the distribution company has estimated that thousands of consumers have stopped hooking out of the fear of getting exposed in the civil society.
