Night-time heists of service lines leave Srinagar homes powerless and residents furious

May 23, 2025 by News Desk

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A string of late-night thefts in Srinagar’s upscale localities of Peerbagh and Hyderpora in Srinagar has left residents reeling, as a group of unidentified criminals continues to make off with expensive electricity service lines right from outside homes.

Operating under the cover of darkness, the miscreants have been meticulously cutting and stealing power cables connecting residential homes to main utility poles. Locals describe the thefts as disturbingly precise, suggesting an organized racket rather than opportunistic crime.

Unlike the standard aluminium wires distributed by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), most homes in these affluent areas have opted for premium copper wiring—significantly more valuable and costly to replace. Estimates suggest a single service line installation can cost anywhere between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000, making them lucrative targets for cable thieves.

While the exact motive remains unclear, authorities suspect the cables are either being resold or stripped for copper—a practice that has seen a resurgence in Kashmir, particularly during economic downturns.

A KPDCL lineman working in the Hyderpora area confirmed that at least four homes had reported thefts in just one day. “The cables weren’t just cut—they were removed entirely. We’ve had to restore connections repeatedly over the past week,” he said.

The latest spate of thefts appears to have taken place during the stormy night of May 20–21, with high winds likely helping the culprits move undetected. One Peerbagh resident reported spotting a hooded individual tampering with a line outside his home around 3 a.m. “I thought I was imagining things until the power went out. He vanished before I could react,” the resident said.

As more households come forward with similar accounts, anxiety and anger are mounting in these otherwise secure neighbourhoods. Locals are calling for urgent intervention, demanding heightened police patrols and a coordinated response from the power department.

The incidents have sparked broader concerns over urban safety and the effectiveness of surveillance in Srinagar’s well-developed residential corridors. For now, many families remain without electricity—and without answers.