SRINAGAR: A group of unidentified miscreants has been stealing electricity service lines from residential homes in uptown Srinagar, particularly in areas like Peerbagh and Hyderpora, leaving households without power and residents deeply alarmed.
The thefts, which are taking place during the dead of night, involve precision cutting of power service lines between homes and the nearest electricity poles. Residents say the lines are not just being cut—they are taken away entirely, indicating a possible organised operation.
The stolen service lines are not ordinary wires. Unlike the aluminium cables offered by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), most residents have installed high-quality copper wiring, which is far more expensive. The cost of a single service line installation typically ranges from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000, making them an attractive target for theft.
It remains unclear whether the culprits are reselling the cables or extracting the copper to sell it in the scrap market. However, the extraction and resale of copper from electric wires is a known practice in the Valley and has seen resurgence during times of economic distress.
A lineman with KPDCL, operating in the Hyderpora belt, said he had to repair service lines at four homes on Thursday alone. “All of them had lost power after their supply lines were cut and stolen,” he said. The thefts appear to have coincided with stormy weather and gusty winds reported on the night of May 20 and 21, possibly offering cover for the gang to operate unnoticed.
A resident of Peerbagh said he caught a glimpse of a hooded man near his house during the early hours of that night. “I couldn’t believe it at first, but I saw him snapping a power line before disappearing into the dark,” he said.
With dozens of homes now reporting similar incidents, fear and frustration are growing in the affected neighbourhoods. Locals have urged the police and power department to step up night patrols and initiate a proper investigation. The thefts have not only caused inconvenience and monetary loss but also raised serious questions about security and surveillance in some of the city’s most developed residential zones.
