Drones used in Lucknow to check power thefts on large scale

Drones are actually being used by the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) to check power theft by air surveillance.

This is the primary time that drones are being used to determine unlawful power connections.

According to Sanjay Jain, chief engineer, LESA Cis-Gomti, greater than 200 power thieves with picture proof have been caught by using drones in the previous one month.

The official added, “In some areas of the town the place our workers confronted some resistance due to slender lanes, we determined to use drones to catch power thieves. During the final one month, we’ve got caught greater than 200 folks at six locations. These residents used to repair a ‘katia’ to the power line at evening and take it off earlier than 4 a.m. Through drones, we secured the footage of individuals fixing the katia connections and taking it off in the morning hours. When we raided these homes to lower off their connections, we had onerous proof.”

He additional stated, “Presently, we’ve got employed a number of drones to catch power thieves but when this venture is profitable, then, we’ll buy a number of extra drones not just for catching thieves but additionally for patrolling. We can even use it to find faults at numerous locations. The use of expertise will solely enhance the effectivity of LESA.”

The management rooms of the sub-stations, after fixed monitoring, discovered that the power load used to enhance after 11 p.m. in some areas. There are 150 sub-stations in the state capital. These substations provide power by 2000 feeders. Out of those, 200 feeders report extra circumstances of power theft, stated chief engineer Sanjay Jain.

Due to fixed checking drives in the course of the day time, folks began utilizing the katia throughout evening hours — primarily between 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Due to this, the load on sub-stations used to enhance quickly.

For instance, the load on sub-station of New Campus on Sitapur highway used to hover round 107 amperes in the course of the day time however would soar to 140 amperes in the course of the evening.

Similarly, in Azad Nagar substation below Amberganj space, the load used to stay at 90 amperes in the course of the day however would soar to 140 amperes in the course of the evening.

In Gaughat substation, the load used to stay round 52 amperes in the course of the day however in the course of the nights, it might go up to 100 amperes, clearly indicating power theft.

The LESA workforce was shocked when it caught powertheft in each home of Muftiganj’s Jehra Colony in May.

Similar was the case in Masalchi Tola. About 1,800 customers are equipped from Kadam Rasool feeder of Ahibaranpur sub-station of Daliganj part. LESA doesn’t get the income of about 63 per cent of the full electrical energy equipped.

The electricity equipped right here is stolen on a large scale. At the identical time, there are various individuals who don’t pay the payments in any respect. In the final three months, 250 circumstances of power theft have been registered in this space alone.

(With inputs from IANS)