To prevent pilferage of power, the Central Power Distribution Company Limited (CPDCL) is contemplating to install prepaid electric meters in the city. Once this is done, consumers will have to recharge their connection like mobile recharge for using power whenever balance reaches a minimum value.
CPDCL has already installed 102 such prepaid meters along with 600 radio frequency (RF) meters in Prakashnagar area of Begumpet a few months ago on a pilot basis, which has been yielding good results. Sources said the prepaid meters would be introduced soon in areas where power pilferage is more in Hyderabad and other districts in CPDCL's jurisdiction.
Officials said the meters have communication-enabled features and are available in two variants. The first category meters are RF-enabled and connected to CPDCL servers. It records any discrepancy in usage of power through the meters. The second variant has 'making and breaking' feature, in which power can be disconnected automatically without human involvement. These meters can be used in post-paid or pre-paid mode and can detect power pilferage. These meters would automatically send data on receiving RF signal and can be connected to the hand-held machines to generate bills.
The CPDCL had purchased 702 such meters from ECIL on the advice of the Centre under the 'Advanced Metering Infrastructure' mandate and installed in Prakashnagar six months ago.
Energy audit wing officials claim Miralam, Yakutpura, Charminar, Santoshnagar, Karwan, Bhavaninagar, Golconda and Sitarambagh areas are high power pilferage locations. In areas like Miralam, there were instances of mob attacks on CPDCL staff when they went to arrest the power thieves or correct the meters in 2010.
"CPDCL has suffered losses worth about Rs 300 crore in the last fiscal alone due to power theft in Hyderabad (south) that covers the Old City," a senior CPDCL official said.
The CPDCL's Vigilance and Security wing has been booking several cases of pilferage in the city. In 2011, the vigilance wing registered 1,850 power theft cases in Hyderabad (south), 364 in Hyderabad (central) and 359 cases in Hyderabad (north). Similarly, penalties were collected from 1,933 consumers, including old cases from pilferers in south circle. Incidentally, the number of power theft cases was more in 2010, 2,762 cases in Hyderabad (south) and penalties collected in 3,009 cases. The number of pilferage cases in other circles of the city was 874 cases in Hyderabad (central) and 1,489 cases in Hyderabad (north).
"CPDCL has booked 23,472 cases of power pilferage in its jurisdiction, which covers 11 circles and seven districts last year and collected penalties to the tune of Rs 5.81 crore in 69,383 cases in 2011," CPDCL, vigilance and security wing, superintendent of police (SP) K Muralidhar Rao told TOI.
