K-Electric warns stern action against power thieves

KARACHI: K-Electric has conducted as many as 762 anti-power theft drives across the city in the first two weeks of August and removed illegal connections.

KE spokesperson Imran Rana said that the power supply company condemns those who use illegal connections on their premises as they put the lives and properties of the masses at peril and steal the right of consumers who access the electricity legally. 

"We continue to conduct these anti-kunda drives every day and remove thousands of illegal connections but unfortunately, these are restored within a few hours of removal. However, we would like to assure that we would stop at nothing to crackdown against these culprits," he added.

The spokesperson said that KE is dealing with lawbreakers sternly, adding that "any act of stealing electricity can lead to the penalty of Rs10 million and imprisonment up to three years". 

Rana continued to say that tampering with power infrastructure can lead to serious consequences including fatalities. "Kundas also weigh down and damage electrical utility wires, which make them prone to short-circuiting, fire-eruption, and faults in power supply system that cause inconvenience to the consumers," he added. 

These kunda-removal drives that took place in different parts of the city, including Surjani, New Karachi, Gulistan-e-Johar, Orangi, Liaquatabad, Nazimabad, Bin Qasim, and Malir, among others. Unhooked illegal wires weighing over 5,700 kilograms were illegally connected to KE’s infrastructure and were being used to steal electricity worth millions.