The menace of power theft

The Power division has announced the launch of the Zero-theft Zero-Load Shedding initiative in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which aims at curbing unauthorized connections, meter tampering, and illegal diversions, which has been a persistent issue affecting both urban and rural areas. According to the authorities, these illegal activities not only lead to substantial revenue losses for power companies but also have a significant impact on the overall energy infrastructure, leading to frequent power outages and load-shedding. The power division in collaboration with the government agencies, district administrations, police and energy providers, has launched a comprehensive campaign to address power theft at its roots. This initiative includes public awareness programs, enhanced monitoring of electricity distribution networks, and stricter penalties for those found guilty of power theft.

Historically, Power theft is a grave social curse that exists in both the electricity as well as sui gas sectors and has shaped into a great challenge for the concerned departments and the government. This grave crime has always had the worst effects on the national economy and the quality of the common public. This illicit practice, which not only burdens the electrical grid but also poses a serious threat to energy reliability and economic stability in the country.

Realistically, the people involved in these heinous crimes are neither unaware of the severity of the issue nor ignorant of the grave economic repercussions of power theft at the national level. Unfortunately, our government has always taken a lax approach toward curbing power theft, while the absence of effective legislation and a lack of penalties and prosecution exposed the government’s inability in that regard. According to statistics, the authorities had filed 20,000 FIRs against 55,000 complaints of power theft while only 528 individuals were arrested in a countrywide operation in the past.

According to the reports, the issue of power theft is not limited to WAPDA and electricity but natural gas supplier giants such as Sui Southern Gas Pipeline (SSG) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNG) companies are also facing this problem and continuously enduring fiscal losses at the hands of this evil. Apparently, such a heinous crime is not possible for a Novis citizen until and unless the concerned department staff is not complicit with criminals and crooks.

The volume and magnitude of this problem are so gigantic that Pakistan’s power division and its subsidiary units failed to tackle this issue despite implementing various strategies and plans in the past. The miscreants and their facilitators within the setup continue to exploit the system with impunity, reflecting a gross lack of oversight and enforcement within the government departments. Realistically, power theft and misuse of government resources is a common issue in nations across the globe but other nations have strict legal regimes and full implementation of rigorous punishments that developed a culture of no power theft and nationalism.

A lackadaisical approach of Pakistani leaders and concerned institutions has further contributed to power theft instead of curbing this menace. In fact, this menace can not be controlled without the public participation and cooperation. The parliamentarians must introduce strict legislation and law-abiding citizens must report suspicious activities or illegal connections in their neighbourhood to concerned authorities. So this evil can be controlled and a pro-nation culture booms in this country.