Youths play cricket on a Ramazan night using stolen electricity, oblivious to ethical or religious implications. Photo: Express
HYDERABAD:
Power theft to organize night cricket matches on major roads and busy intersections across Hyderabad has reached its peak during Ramazan, while the Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (HESCO) has failed to curb the illegal practice.
On the one hand, HESCO has not been able to reduce the duration of load shedding during the holy month, with both scheduled and unscheduled blackouts continuing throughout the day, in addition to the electricity cuts under the pretext of fault. On the other hand, the company seems ineffective in preventing open power theft across the city.
Across Hyderabad, including Latifabad and Qasimabad, night cricket matches are played till Sehri under high-voltage floodlights illegally connected to main power poles. Residents, civic groups and the media report such power thefts every year during Ramazan.
Although HESCO occasionally carries out token operations – confiscation of wires and floodlights in a few places – the practice will soon resume.
Residents fear that the burden of this electricity theft will ultimately fall on law-abiding consumers and they will get the inflated bills with extra charges in the form of line loss. According to consumers, sub-divisional officials often issue registration bills to select users who are not part of any ‘scheme’, forcing them to visit HESCO offices repeatedly for corrections, despite their meager electricity consumption.
Despite certain feeders being declared ‘load shedding free’, reports suggest that even these feeders experience power outages, especially in the morning.
In addition to electricity theft, the night cricket matches also disrupt the flow of traffic on major roads and intersections. Residents complain of large gatherings of youths and spectators, with loud cheering and comments continuing late into the night, causing disturbances in neighborhoods.
Citizens have criticized both HESCO and the district authorities for not taking effective measures. While HESCO frequently issues press releases about ongoing operations against power thieves – sometimes in collaboration with Rangers and the FIA - no significant action has been taken against the dozens of openly organized night-cricket events run by illegal connections.
Meanwhile, some of the young players claim that not all matches rely on stolen electricity, although they admit that such incidents can occur in certain places. They claim that Ramazan naturally sees increased nighttime activity as many people stay up late and sleep after Sehri and Fajr prayers.
The youth further maintain that the lack of proper sports grounds in Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad forces them to play on streets and main roads. Existing plots, they say, are either unusable or lack adequate facilities. They added that not a single pitch in the city is currently equipped for night cricket. According to them, if the district administration or the municipal corporation were to install floodlights in designated plots during Ramazan, the problem could be solved.
