Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) is facing 18 percent power theft amounting to Rs 18 billion per year despite investing millions of rupees on the replacement of Bare Copper Conductor (BCC) with Arial Bundle Cables (ABC).
Despite the replacement of copper conductors, with the investment of around Rs 200 million, especially in the newly developed rural areas where "Kunda system" or hook connections are on the rise, no major improvement in Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses has been observed so far.
Though the company claims that T&D losses were reduced to 29.8 percent from over 31 percent during last couple of years, the company is to slash the losses as per agreed terms with government in the Amendment/Implementation Agreement.
According to a formula set by KESC to calculate the power losses, the percentage of power theft is roughly around 24 percent and one percent accounts for one billion rupees per annum.
The company, in 2007, had initiated installing imported ABC cables in different areas of the metropolis, like Awan Colony No 1 and 2, Christian Colony, Bangali Para, Orangi Town etc to reduce the power theft through Kunda (hook) system but the illegal practice is yet to be controlled. The fast developing new poor localities are stealing less electricity as compared to those living in posh areas of the metropolis with KESC staffers being their accomplices in most of the reported cases.
The company is hardly taking action against its staffs allegedly involved in irregularities, like distribution of illegal connections, power theft, issuance of fixed bills to the customer etc. Ironically, power thieves from the under/least-developed areas are often brought under heavy criticism, but no one has the moral courage to raise his/her voice when the same is committed in posh areas.
However, KESC on Tuesday claimed that it has so far successfully converted a number of PMTs and consumer connections in Clifton and Keamari areas into high tension ABC cable based supply system that mainly pre-empts illegal connection through kunda thus saving considerable units previously stolen because of open copper wire.
Starting in 2011 with two pilot projects, KESC-pioneered overhead Aerial Bundle Cable conversion venture would be covering more PMTs and consumers in Surjani, Garden, Bhitai Colony, Cattle Colony, KBR, Lines Area, PIB, Clayton and Bahadurabad in the coming months.
Under the pilot projects completing this month, KESC issued 252 new connections and converted 14 PMTs through ABC cable supply lines that use several insulated phase conductors bundled tightly together in contrast to open copper wire benefiting a total of 3,865 consumers in Clifton and Keamari areas that have been working satisfactorily.
According to the company, after ABC conversion, at an average, a total of Rs 35,52,914 are being saved every month from Rajput Colony 500kva PMT, Abid Plaza 500kva substation, Ali Apartments substation, Haji Lemo Goth PMT No 1, 2 and 3 (Toheed), B-177 250KVA PMT, Chaina PMT/Azeem Goth PMT 500KVA, Aleem-u-ddin 250KVA PMT (Quaid-a-Azam colony), Madina Manzil PMT 500KVA PMT, Dhoraji PMT, Azeem Khan substation, Azeem Khan Goth Block 4-A PMT-1, Quaid-e- Azam (Pipe wali) 500KVA PMT.
The schemes planned for the coming months include 103 PMTs in Clifton and Keamari areas, 12 PMTs in Surjani, 26 in Bhitai Colony, 64 in Cattle Colony and 28 PMTs in Garden. The advantages of thermoplastic ABC conversion include control of losses caused due to illegal hook connection, prevention of theft of copper conductor, prevention of fatal accidents, minimising of tripping, minimising of complaints of power failure, higher current rating and lower short circuit rating, higher insulation and moisture resistance, better resistance to surge currents, better resistance to chemicals and corrosion, Low dielectric losses, longer service life, and have better electrical and mechanical properties while being smaller in diameter and lower in weight. The ABC does not need tree trimming, is moisture resistant, and is particularly useful in streets with tree plantations, narrow roads, and prevents problem of clearances to buildings.