Sri Vijay Puram, May 11:
An attempted copper wire theft at NLC India Ltd. Solar Power Plant in Garacharma, South Andaman, was thwarted on Saturday thanks to the quick action of plant staff and local police, preventing major disruption to the facility’s operations and averting a significant financial loss.
The incident came to light when a technician noticed smoke rising from a section of the plant. On checking, he found an intruder burning insulated copper wires inside the restricted area, an often-used method to extract metal for resale. The technician raised an alarm, and with help from the Site In-charge and other staff, managed to detain the suspect on the spot.
During questioning, the detained man revealed the names of three accomplices who had fled. Pahargaon Police, acting on inputs from the plant’s personnel, launched a swift search operation and arrested all four accused within hours.
The accused admitted they had entered the premises with the intent to steal copper by burning the wiring insulation. The FIR notes an estimated ₹2 lakh damage to the solar panel system, which could have been far worse if not for the timely intervention. Police confirmed that the recovered wires were integral to the plant’s operations and the accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including theft, criminal trespass, and destruction of public property.
Officials from the plant expressed concern over rising threats to renewable energy infrastructure. “This isn’t just theft, it’s sabotage of public utility services. Clean energy production is vital to the islands and such acts affect not only power supply but also the region’s long-term sustainability goals,” said one official.
