Published On : Wed, Jan 6th, 2016

Increasing thefts of bus bars from power distribution box puts SNDL in a fix

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After replacement by new bus barNagpur: The cold wave prevailing in the city is not only tormenting the citizens but has also put the SNDL in a fix. The shivering cold has become a headache to the Spanco Nagpur Discom Limited, a power distribution franchisee for Nagpur city — Gandhibagh, Civil Lines and Mahal Division. A group of anti-social elements is audaciously targeting the power Distribution Boxes (DBs) and stealing bus bars made of costly copper or brass metal in the chilling nights. The theft of the bus bars not only hits the smooth power supply but also puts the consumers in a quandary. At least four incidents of such kind in the last 10 days have baffled and rattled the SNDL prompting them to file FIRs in this connection.

In electrical power distribution, a bus bar (also spelled busbar with the term bus being a contraction of the Latin omnibus, “for all”) is a metallic strip or bar (typically copper, brass or aluminium) that conducts electricity within a switchboard, distribution board, substation, battery bank, or other electrical apparatus. Its main purpose is to conduct a substantial current of electricity, and not to function as a structural member. Also, bus bars are important components in electrical power grid because they can reduce the power loss via reducing the corona effects.

According to a statement of SNDL, the thefts of bus bars in fact had started in the month of November itself. In the instant case occurred on January 2, a consumer of Katal Road area, in the dead of night, lodged a complaint with SNDL’s Consumer Service toll-free number stating that power supply to his area has got disrupted. Immediately, a SNDL’s O & M team embarked on patrolling of the area. The team was taken aback when it found that the anti-social elements had badly damaged the nearby Distribution Box with the motive of stealing the bus bars. The SNDL team changed the entire bus bar unit and started the power supply. The same kind of incidents had also taken place at Vishwakarma Feeder, Sut Girni, Jankinagar and Manewada areas.

Damaged Bus Bar FlatThe miscreants, after damaging the distribution boxes and stealing the bus bars, sell the costly copper and brass metal in scrap market. But the damaged and open distribution box poses a hazard of unprecedented nature. The SNDL authorities have appealed people to immediately inform the consumer service toll free number 18003139600 or police if they notice suspicious elements near the power distribution box in their areas. Secondly, people should keep themselves away from the damaged and open distribution box to prevent any untoward incident.