Transformer Thefts Rise in Madhes Province

A surge in transformer thefts has been reported in various districts of Madhes Province, Nepal. According to Kalicharan Yadav, administration chief of the Nepal Electricity Authority’s Madhes Provincial Office in Janakpur, 99 transformers have been stolen in the past five years.

Yadav attributed the rise in thefts to the high market value of copper wires used in transformers. The stolen transformers had capacities ranging from 15 kVA to 200 kVA.

The districts of Mahottari, Bara, Dhanusha, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Saptari, and Parsa have been affected by the thefts, with the highest number of incidents reported in Mahottari.

Farmers have been directly impacted by the thefts, as they have been unable to irrigate their crops on time. They have urged the authorities to apprehend the culprits and install new transformers.

Om Prasad Adhikari, deputy inspector general of the Madhes Province Police Office in Janakpur, confirmed that an investigation into the thefts is underway.