Thieves steal eight fuses from Palakkad transformer, worsening Kerala's power crisis

Unidentified thieves have made off with eight electricity fuses from a transformer in Thriveni Nagar, Palakkad, compounding the difficulties faced by residents already struggling with scheduled power cuts across Keralam.

The power supply was disrupted on Thursday night, prompting residents to lodge a complaint with the Palakkad Town South Police, which has launched a preliminary investigation.

Residents Mistake Outage for Scheduled Cut

"Initially, we assumed that it was part of the power cut. However, as the electricity connection was not restored even after two hours, we contacted the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) office," a resident said.

When KSEB officials arrived at the transformer site, they discovered all the fuses had been removed. "As many as eight fuses have been lost. Earlier, there was a similar incident in which someone removed the fuse and kept it on the ground," the resident added.

Police Await KSEB Complaint to Register Case

Police officials said they were conducting a preliminary probe into the incident. KSEB is also likely to lodge a complaint over the theft of the fuses, based on which a case would be registered, officials said.

The police and residents suspect the involvement of anti-social elements behind the incident. The police are examining CCTV footage from the area to identify those behind the theft, they added.

The theft has left the neighbourhood without electricity at a time when Keralam is experiencing widespread power cuts.

Source: The Hindu