KARACHI: The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC), in line with its ongoing drive against illegal use of electricity, has successfully conducted massive raids in several Kunda-infested areas of the city and disconnected hundreds of illegal connections.
According to KESC statement on Wednesday, these areas include Bakhtawar Goth, Dhani Bux Goth, Ayub Goth, Ramzan Goth, Rashidi Goth, Bhitaiabad, Mughal Hazar Goth, Sachal Goth, Shahnawaz Shar Goth and Pehlwan Goth in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.KESC teams also recovered huge quantity of telephone wire used in illegal connections, and at several places disconnected PMTs where electricity theft was rampant and recovery ratio was very low.KESC had disconnected Kundas from most of these areas several times in the past as warning, but the residents reconnected instead of adopting legal means of using electricity.
This practice had been causing frequent burning of the overloaded PMTs, causing huge financial loss to the power entity. Therefore, during the recent action, disconnection of PMTs was preferred, which, according to the policy, would not be reconnected until electricity theft was stopped and bills were paid.KESC urged general public to strictly refrain from using illegal connections, as the unsafe ‘Kunda’ wires had also been causing electrocution of innocent citizens. The unyielding power thieves did not stop in spite of repeated and clear instructions by the utility regarding the danger involved.KESC has again urged such consumers to pay their outstanding bills and stop stealing electricity to get power supply restored.
KESC said that because of huge outstanding amount against the faulty PMTs, which were also overloaded due to high ratio of electricity theft; repair or replacement work could not be undertaken unless the defaulting consumers cleared their dues and supported utility’s efforts to bring down stealing of power.KESC will not reconnect or repair the faulty PMTs in the areas plagued by power theft. The cash shortfall arising out of non-payment and electricity theft had also been affecting KESC’s ability to repair and replace the faulty PMTs, cables and other equipment.
The power theft had been causing overloading of numberless PMTs, resulting in frequent burning out.KESC called upon the saner elements of society to influence the power thieves to avoid illegal use of electricity and pay their unpaid bills.Electricity theft and non-payment of huge amounts had adversely affected the utility’s smooth performance and had also been blocking improvement of its system and services to its 20 million consumers. – Dailytimes
