Rs120crore per yr lost in e-rickshaw charging theft

Delhi’s power discoms suffer losses of around ₹120 crore every year due to illegal power theft to charge e-rickshaws in the city, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday.
Discoms said out of Delhi’s estimated 160,000 e-rickshaws, it is believed close to 60% are reliant on illegal sources of battery charging, resulting in power theft of 15-20 MW annually.
“This is a new kind of power theft that has emerged in recent years. It is estimated that this is leading to an annual loss of ₹120 crore,” said a power discom official, on condition of anonymity.
WHAT officials said that a large proportion of Delhi’s e-rickshaws remain unregulated, with only around 50,000 presently registered with the state transport department.
Officials at discoms highlighted that illegal charging of batteries, or sub-standard batteries pose a safety risk as well.
“Exposed electricity wires are left open during illegal charging and non-adherence to safety standards often cause sparks and short circuits. These exposed live wires also pose a danger to the public, especially children playing in these areas during the daytime,” said the official, adding this can also lead to electrocution.
Last week, a 30-year-old died after being electrocuted at an illegal e-rickshaw charging point in East Delhi’s Mandoli. Last month, a 7-year-old had died similarly at another illegal charging point in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh.
Discoms said there is no estimate on the number of illegal points, however, Delhi currently has over 4,000 legal e-rickshaw charging connections. Each location is capable of charging multiple e-rickshaws at the same time.
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has introduced a special tariff category for e-rickshaw charging at ₹4.50 per unit to encourage legal connections.
Discoms said areas in Delhi where several e-rickshaw power theft cases have been reported include Sangam Vihar, Jamia and Kalkaji in south Delhi. Raghubir Nagar, Tagore Garden, East Sagarpur and Paschim Vihar in west Delhi. In east and central Delhi, the hubs include Minto Road, Seelampur, Yamuna Vihar and Shastri Park. In north Delhi, this is being done at Rohini, Bawana, Narela and Mukherjee Nagar, among others.
A second discom official, on condition of anonymity, said such cases were on the rise in Delhi.
“Many of these points are operated by organised groups illegally tapping electricity from low-voltage mains, primarily at night. Identifying the actual users or beneficiaries is difficult, as they are rarely present during raids, which complicates the legal proceedings. These illegal operations often take place in parks and open spaces,” said the official.