Wapda wires, transformers theft incidents rising on motorway

LAHORE : Pakistan may lose a significant chunk of its export quality rice this year after a large scale theft of high voltage electric wires, electric transformers, heavy water pumps, leaving hundreds of acres of rice producing lands from Lahore to Sheikhupura Motorway without tube-well water in the mid of rice sowing season, according to farmers and Wapda officials.

The most hit hard agricultural land is near village Warran on Motorway where farmers are running from pillar to post to have their tube-wells re-wired with electric poles and find replacement of their stolen water pumps and electric transformers to sow the rice crop. The theft incidents of agricultural related electric hardware and goods are on the rise at a time when farmers are in desperate need of water to grow rice crop.

The rice crop growing season started off about two weeks ago and most of the farmers have yet to sow this key crop after all what they need to draw water from the soil, have been stolen. Any further delay to re-wire their tube-wells and replace other essential stolen hardware could affect overall production of the rice this year, say agriculturalists.

“There were at least seven to eight incidents of theft of high voltage wire, heavy water pumps and electric transformers during last few months. On June 10, thieves stole over two-kilometre long wire along with motorway. We produce the best quality rice in this region. Rice crop needs water every day. But with such incidents on the rise, unavailability of water is destroying our rice crops”, complains Muhammad Waheed, a young farmer from village Warran, Sheikhupura. “We have limited time to grow rice crop but unavailability of water, is coming down hard on us, says Zafar Iqbal, a local farmer.”

Not long ago, Zafar’s own electric transformer was stolen and he purchased on his own to water his crops after Wapda’s delaying tactics to install the new one. However, most of other farmers, Zafar reports cannot financially afford to buy new transformers.

Muhammad Waqas Rashid, Line superintendent Wapda in Sheikhupura, confirmed that incidents of theft of high electric voltage wires, electric transformers and heavy water pumps are on the rise. “Most of hit hard region is region along with motorway, thieves park their vehicles at motorway, steal high voltage wires from poles and run away on the motorway” he added. Motorway police, Waqas, say, “is least cooperative with Wapda saying it has limited resources to cope with rising incidents of theft”.

Waqas said the theft incidents are no longer confined to a particular areas along with motorway but its scale has expanded to much of agricultural lands bordering with motorway from Lahore to Islamabad.“ I am supervising four electric feeders operating from Farooqabad grid station and during last six months, at least five similar incidents have happened. We have registered FIR with police each time and no thief has been caught so far”, he concluded.

Some Wapda officials suspect the exorbitantly expansive high voltage electric wires and other related accessories are ending up in factories which purchase stolen wires on throwaway prices to manufacture multiple products. They also blame local politicians to have been allegedly shielding thieves disallowing the police to get hold of culprits.