Transformer copper thefts: LESA to install cameras, intensify night patrols

At a meeting held at the Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) office on Friday, LESA chief engineers of all four zones resolved to step up surveillance around transformers, deploy additional night patrol staff and encourage citizens to report suspicious activity. The use of drones is also being considered, a chief engineer said.

After a spate of transformer copper thefts, the Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA) has decided to tighten security by installing surveillance cameras and increasing night patrols at vulnerable substations.

A dismantled transformer left behind by thieves after stealing copper and spilling oil. (Sourced)

At a meeting held at the Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Limited (MVVNL) office on Friday, LESA chief engineers of all four zones resolved to step up surveillance around transformers, deploy additional night patrol staff and encourage citizens to report suspicious activity. The use of drones is also being considered, a chief engineer said.

The move follows four thefts in the past three months, the latest reported on Wednesday night (February 18) near the Shivpuri power house. Around 9 pm, thieves allegedly used bamboo poles to pull down a 400 kVA transformer located close to the power house, removed its copper wiring and fled, triggering a prolonged outage that affected more than 300 households. Electricity supply was restored only the next day after a replacement transformer was installed.

Residents questioned how nearly 20 personnel posted at the substation remained unaware of the incident until messages circulated on social media.

LESA manages about 52,000 transformers under nearly 150 substations, but insiders said record-keeping is weak, with no proper serial numbering or updated maintenance logs. There is also no clear documentation of which transformers are operational or when they were last serviced, leaving infrastructure vulnerable to theft and breakdowns. Routine checks of transformer oil levels are reportedly irregular.

All-India Power Engineers Federation president Shailendra Dubey said the incidents exposed deeper administrative lapses and called for corrective measures beyond security upgrades.

“What is being done to address the root cause of these systemic inefficiencies? While LESA is taking steps to improve security, the outages and thefts highlight deeper issues of mismanagement and lack of transparency. Pressure is mounting on officials to act, but the question is what has been done so far?” he asked.

Meanwhile, a senior MVVNL official said an inquiry was under way into the copper thefts. MVVNL managing director Riya Kejriwal has directed the chief engineers of all four city zones to ensure transformers remain under strict surveillance.