Noida: The power department’s enforcement and raid teams carried out a joint anti-theft drive in Dhoom Manikpur, Mahawad, and Escort Colony areas in Greater Noida and Ranhera village in Jewar, following which an FIR was registered against six persons for theft of 18.2 kW of electricity.The drive follows a review of electricity theft prevention conducted earlier this month by Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (PVVNL) managing director (MD) Raveesh Gupta, who directed intensive, targeted inspections on high-loss feeders and in areas prone to electricity theft.The anti-power theft campaign, spearheaded by UPPCL, was executed under the direction of the chief engineer, Noida power department, with the aim of reducing line losses.In the first operation, which targeted residential areas of Dhoom Manikpur, Mahawad, and Escort Colony in Greater Noida, which are supplied power by the 33/11 kV Kudikheda substation, five people were apprehended for illegal electricity consumption. “FIRs were filed against each under Section 135 of the Electricity Act, 2003,” said Sanjay Kumar Jain, chief engineer, Noida power department, PVVNL.The accused include Ramkumar, Rajveer, Satish, Vidya Devi and Titu.The second operation was conducted in village Ranhera, where a man, Baran Singh, was found tampering with the electrical supply. Singh allegedly cut the cable upstream of the meter and connected an additional line.UPPCL has appealed to residents to procure valid electricity connections and consume power responsibly. “Electricity theft is a serious offence punishable by law. The department encourages citizens to report instances of theft through the ‘Bijli Mitra Portal’ to help mitigate losses and improve service delivery,” said Jain.This operation follows a detailed review of electricity theft prevention measures by MD PVVNL earlier this month, where he outlined strategies for targeted inspections in areas known for high losses. Strict directives were issued for surprise raids to be conducted by joint teams of vigilance and field officials, while body-worn cameras will be utilised to enhance transparency during operations.Meanwhile, power cuts persisted in Noida’s Sectors 12, 11, 55, and 105. In Ghaziabad, intermittent outages were reported from Abhay Khand, Gyan Khand, and Nyaya Khand in Indirapuram, as well as parts of Vasundhara and Vaishali.
