PVVNL severs 98 lines, recovers ₹26 lakh in Gautam Budh Nagar

The operation targeted high line-loss areas, including Dadri and Dankaur, focusing on non-paying consumers, unauthorised power connections, and payment defaulters, officials said

Noida:

PVVNL officials during their power enforcement drive to check illegal electric connections in Gautam Budh Nagar. (HT Photo)

Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) carried out an intensive enforcement drive in Gautam Budh Nagar on October 17 and 18, leading to the disconnection of 98 consumers and the recovery of ₹26.13 lakh in on-site collections, officials reported on Saturday. The drive also resulted in three FIRs being filed under the Electricity Act for cases of power theft, they added.

The operation targeted high line-loss areas, including Dadri and Dankaur, focusing on non-paying consumers, unauthorised power connections, and payment defaulters, officials said. A PVVNL team at the Luharli substation disconnected 35 defaulters who owed a total of ₹15.54 lakh. Thirty consumers cleared their dues of ₹2.28 lakh during the operation. Additionally, one consumer’s tariff was revised, and another’s load was increased to 2kW, according to officials.

Chief engineer of PVVNL Noida, Harish Bansal, said, “Our enforcement drive reflects our commitment to curbing power theft, improving operational efficiency, and ensuring timely revenue collection. Strict actions, including disconnections and FIRs, have been taken to regularise defaulters and illegal users. We aim to enhance supply reliability while reducing losses, and similar operations will continue to ensure compliance.”

In Dhoom Manikpur, 14 connections were severed in Adarsh Nagar and Rana Nagar for unpaid dues amounting to ₹13.39 lakh, with ₹1.45 lakh recovered on-site, officials said. Meanwhile, operations in Chithera and Palla saw 16 disconnections for dues totalling ₹9.6 lakh, and electric meters were removed from six defaulters with ₹8.1 lakh in outstanding payments, they added. Two illegal users were booked under Section 135 of the Electricity Act. To address line losses, 490 meters of new cable were installed in Dujana.

On October 18, the PVVNL team inspected the Mandi Shyam Nagar substation in Dankaur, where one case of electricity theft involving 900 watts was identified, resulting in an FIR being filed. Six “never-paid” consumers paid ₹20,000 in dues, and seven defaulters owing ₹4.5 lakh had their connections severed.

According to PVVNL officials, during the operation, the discom also initiated permanent disconnection procedures for 12 consumers, upgraded 18 connections to increase the total load by 32 kW, and converted two residential users to commercial tariffs, generating ₹4.6 lakh in collections.