Stricter laws needed to end looting of power equipment
19/1/2006 7:25
Nichoals Ning/Shanghai Daily news
The city should
draft legislation to enhance protection of power transmission equipment and
increase punishment for theft of power lines and other fixtures, several members
of an advisory panel to the municipal government have proposed.
It's also key
to block sales channels for stolen power equipment, which is usually sold
cheaply to recycling stations.
The theft and sale of everything from power
lines to steel from transmission towers has grown at a staggering rate in recent
years, endangering power supply and grid operations and putting public safety at
risk.
"There are state regulations on power facility protection, but they are
too general so we should make specific local rules to bring the situation under
control," said Jie Fang, a delegate to the local committee of the Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference.
Jie also suggested stricter
inspections of garbage recycling stations and setting higher requirements for
such stations to get a business license.
Rapid increase
Over the past two
years, the number of thefts involving power equipment has grown by more than 200
percent annually, according to Shanghai Electric Power Co, which operates the
city's power grid.
The number of thefts reported last year hit a record of
1,983, an increase on nearly 300 percent from 2004. Most of the thefts were
committed in the city's suburbs.
More than 400 kilometers of power lines were
stolen last year, resulting in direct economic losses of more than 18 million
yuan (US$2.2 million) to the company - not including the lost
electricity.
"Theft poses a great threat to grid operation, and could cause a
massive power failure in the worst case, which would be a disaster," said Huang
Jun, the chief of Shanghai Electric's power safety division.
Huang's concern
is well grounded. Last year, more than 200 pieces, such as steel sheets and
bars, were stolen from power towers, which could cause the towers to collapse in
strong winds.
Traffic police have also complained about the theft of
underground cables used to control traffic lights. About 130 kilometers of such
cables went missing last year.
Similar problems have been reported with other
public equipment, such as manhole covers.
Aware of the situation, the city
enacted a garbage metal collection regulation last year to tighten control of
the main sales channel for stolen metal. Stations that knowingly buy such
equipment from unidentified sources can face a fine of 30,000 yuan.
The power
company has also applied some anti-theft technologies, such as alarms and
special screws that can be removed by special tools.
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