BSES cracks down on big Flour Mills

Analytics help BRPL unearth 232 KW of power theft in 3 large flour mills

Cumulatively penalised Rs 1.16 crore

BSES has initiated a survey to study the power consumption patterns of large flour mills
Three large Flour Mills – M/s M K Flour Mills, M/s S G Flour Mills, M/s S K Flour Mills – manufacturers of popular Atta brands - caught stealing electricity between 73 KW and 85 KW – cumulatively penalised Rs 1.16 crore
Latest technology, Automatic Meter Readings (AMRs), Live Cable Detectors, and intelligent analytic tools deployed to detect power theft
Mill owners gain around Rs 10 / 50 kg bag of Wheat milled from the theft of electricity

After unearthing thousands of KW’s of power theft in Hotels, Hospitals, DTC Bus Shelters, Residential apartments, Bunglows, Kusht Ashram, Petrol Stations, BSES has now turned its attention to large Flour Mills. A recent survey showed that many large flour mills were stealing power – at different hours of the working shifts. This became evident when BSES began an intelligent analysis of the mills’ consumption patterns by using the latest technology and analytic techniques.

An indepth study of the data retrieved from the BSES meters installed on the three sites showed that these Flour Mills were not functioning during particular hours of the day. Whereas the surveillance proved to the contrary. Later during inspections, all the three Flour Mills were found indulging in direct theft of power, by hooking from the nearby BSES LV mains, in addition to the switchover to metered energy during lean periods

The ongoing power consumption survey has helped BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) unearth massive power theft – totalling over 232 KW from three large flour mills in Jafferpur area of Najafgargh. While M/s M K Flour Mills was caught stealing 73.26 KW of power , M/s S G Flour Mills was caught stealing 85 KW of electricity. Yet another raid on M/s S K Flour Mills unearthed power theft of over 74 KW.

While M/s M K Flour Mills and M/s S G Flour Mills were penalised Rs 43.64 lakh and Rs 25.79 lakh respectively, M/s S K Flour Mills on the other hand was penalised Rs 47.2 lakh – all in accordance with the Indian Electricity Act 2003 guidelines. Meanwhile M/s M K Flour Mills has promptly paid Rs 10 lakh – as part payment towards his penalty amount. “According to neighbours, these Flour Mills also undertake outsourced work for many leading brands”, said a BSES official.

A detailed use of the latest analytic techniques combined with the new age Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and surveillance helped BSES detect power theft. Analysis of the retrieved data – remitted online to the Central Control Room - at present intervals, from their existing electricity meters through the state-of-the-art AMRs showed inconsistencies and anomalies. Based on the analysis and surveillance, BRPL Enforcement Team was easily able to zero in on the power theft.

The third Flour Mill – M/s S K Flour Mills, was also directly stealing power by routing an illegal parallel connection from a nearby BSES line. In this case, the Mill owner had very ingeniously tried to conceal the theft by hiding the cable underneath bags of flour. A study of the customers Meter Reading Details (MRDs) along with the recently acquired Live Cable Detector helped BSES Enforcement teams trace the path of this concealed but live cable.

“Flour Mill owners tend to gain around Rs 10 per 50 Kg bag of wheat milled from theft of energy. In a single day, these large mills tend to process hundreds of such bags. Just imagine the quantum and magnitude of the power theft”, said a BSES official, “adding that there are over 100 such Flour Mills are operating in BSES’ licensed area”.

According to a BSES spokesperson “Latest technology deployments like Automatic Meter Readings (AMRs) – which are being installed on meters with load of 35 KW and above and use of latest acquisitions like Live Cable Detectors, coupled with the use of latest analytical tools are aiding BSES’ efforts in unearthing colossal amounts of power theft”

BSES, Delhi’s premier power distribution company, is committed to ensuring quality and reliable electricity supply to all its consumers.

For further information please contact:

Prashant Dua	Chandra P Kamat
Corporate Communications	Corporate Communications
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