MSEB move to curb T&D losses fails in urban slums

According to a sample survey of 5,500 meters, urban segments show a low level of losses with the Kothrud region of Pune district registering a low one per cent T&D loss.

The T&D loss in Pune has also witnessed a reduction by around five-six per cent at around 21-22 per cent.

A MSEB official said: "In 11 MSEB circles in Maharashtra, the T&D losses are lower than 11 per cent, while the Nagpur (urban) region has witnessed a reduction of almost 10 per cent in losses in the nine months of 2003 at 25-29 per cent. This is against T&D losses of 35-39 per cent saw in the corresponding period last year. Rural segments in Beed, Latur and Osmanabad have a high 40 per cent T&D losses."

The around 30 lakh unmetered agricultural consumers' strong resistance to metering efforts of the MSEB notwithstanding, in the last three months the board witnessed a one per cent dip in T&D losses at 38.5 per cent.

"This, however, may have been on account of the monsoons as the sample was collected in this period as the agricultural load is of a variable nature," the official added.

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has repeatedly rejected MSEB's plea that it is difficult to reduce T&D losses in unmetered segments (35 lakh consumers).

Even during the hearing on the tariff revision proposal submitted by the MSEB to MERC held on Wednesday, the regulatory commission insisted that the electricity board needs to commit itself to a reduction in T&D losses, while disagreeing with its plea on restricting this to the metered segments of its consumer base.