Delhi Day after teens' deaths police announce crackdown on illegal e-rickshaw charging stations

New Delhi, May 26 (PTI) Action will be taken against illegal e-rickshaw charging stations in the national capital, which cause an estimated loss of around Rs 120 crore annually besides posing safety risks, the police said Monday.
    The development comes a day after two teenagers were charred to death, while four sustained injuries in a blaze that broke out at an e-rickshaw charging and parking station in the Ram Nagar area of Delhi's Shahdara.
    Brijesh (19) and Maniram (18), from Madhya Pradesh, were asleep when the fire broke out. They got trapped inside the tin shed structure which was being used as a godown-cum-parking and charging station for e-rickshaws, as well as a storage house for sugarcane juice machines.
    "We are noticing many such incidents in the city in the last month. Such illegal e-rickshaw charging stations are posing a threat to lives. We have asked all officials to collect the data of the illegal charging stations in their districts and to make an action plan against them," a senior police officer said.
    A similar incident was also reported on May 18, when six people of a family, including two children, sustained burns and severe inhalation problems after an e-rickshaw which was on charge at an illegal charging station caught fire in Delhi's Shahdara.
    "It was around 3.50 am when Farsh Bazar Police Station received a call regarding the fire, following which teams were rushed to the spot. The fire started due to a short circuit while charging an e-rickshaw at the ground floor of the building," another police officer said.
    The officer further said the family was sleeping in the adjacent room when they noticed smoke and fire. One of the men sustained almost 10 per cent burn injuries during the incident.
    Meanwhile, the city's power discoms are battling the menace of illegal e-rickshaw charging facilities, sources said.
     According to official estimates, approximately 1.2 lakh registered e-rickshaws are active in the national capital. However, many ply on the roads without a valid registration, causing congestion and posing a safety risk.     "The discoms and Power Department have tried to curb power theft in the charging of e-rickshaws and address safety issues. Around 4,000 legal e-rickshaw charging connections have been given to individuals and operators. Each connection is capable of charging multiple e-rickshaws," the source added.
    Illegal charging and sub-standard batteries pose significant safety hazards which are causing fire incidents, the source further stated, adding that this is a new kind of power theft.
    "It's estimated that over 60 per cent of e-rickshaws are involved in power theft, resulting in a loss of 15-20 MW across the city, translating to an annual loss of around Rs 120 crore," the source said.
    According to the police and the discoms, they have identified several areas in the city with high e-rickshaw power theft including Sangam Vihar, Jamia, Batla House, Tughlakabad, Sarai Kale Khan, Madipur, Nangloi, Matiala, Mandawali, Minto Road, Seelampur, Yamuna Vihar, Shastri Park, Karawal Nagar, Mustafabad, Nand Nagri, Karol Bagh, Civil Lines, Mukherjee Nagar, Rohini, Bawana and Narela among others.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)