Shil, Mumbra & Kalwa may face load shedding due to power theft

The Torrent Power company, which supplies electricity to Shil, Mumbra and Kalwa (SMK) areas on behalf of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), has warned that people of the area will have to face load shedding unless power theft is stopped on priority basis. Torrent Power has been supplying electricity to the SMK area since March 1, 2020.

According to the officials of Torrent Power, despite repeated reminders to avoid unauthorised power usage and to apply for new meter connections, there are still many people in the area who continue with power theft. One of the reasons commonly given by power thieves is that they are unable to get new connections due to old accumulated MSEDCL Power Distribution (PD) meter dues on their premises.

“This reason is really surprising, especially because a golden opportunity in the form of Vilasrao Deshmukh Abhay Yojana for clearing old MSEDCL PD dues is made available to the consumers. Under this scheme, consumers can avail of a 100 per cent interest waiver on their old MSEDCL outstanding PD meter dues,” a Torrent Power official said, adding that the response to the scheme from people in the area is very poor.

Speaking with the FPJ correspondent, Torrent Power public relations officer Chetan Badiyani said, “With the scorching summer heat, power consumption in the area is at its peak. Losses for Torrent Power in the area are increasing and have gone to the range of 50 per cent. If this continues and people do not refrain from power theft, load shedding may be inevitable.” He added that Torrent Power is aware of the power situation in the state with the MSEDCL discussing load shedding in the high loss areas.

According to Badiyani, if the power theft does not stop, as per MSEDCL load shedding protocols, the power company may be forced to impose load shedding in the area. “We need to push people towards ensuring they opt for metered connections and stop power theft. Otherwise, the entire area will have to face darkness for the selfish motives of these few power thieves,” Badiyani said.