LAHORE: A thunderstorm on Thursday disrupted electricity supply in various parts of Lahore and other areas falling in the jurisdiction of the Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco), leading to tripping of many distribution feeders of 11kV capacity and power outages.

According to a Lesco spokesperson, the adverse weather conditions resulted in the tripping of a total 138 electricity feeders across the region while 23 feeders developed technical faults. In Lahore alone, power supply was affected after 72 feeders tripped due to the bad weather.

The spokesperson said Lesco’s electricity demand was recorded as 3,700MW, equal to the allocated supply quota of 3,700MW. However, the rain and windstorm adversely impacted the transmission and distribution network in several localities.

Lesco’s field staff, according to the spokesperson, has been placed on high alert to respond to any emergency situation. The company said restoration teams were fully prepared and they had started repair and restoration work immediately after weather conditions improved.

“We urge the consumers to exercise caution during the ongoing spell of inclement weather,” the spokesperson said, advising consumers not to attempt repairs on their own, inform Lesco in case of power outages and waiting for the authorised staff to reach the affected areas. She also asked citizens to promptly contact their respective complaint offices or report emergencies through the utility’s helpline, 118. Highlighting safety concerns, the company advised parents to keep their children away from electricity installations during the rain and warned the residents to ensure that pets also remained at a safe distance from power infrastructure to avoid accidents.

Meanwhile, Lesco claims to have intensified its anti-power theft campaign during last month, detecting hundreds of cases of electricity theft across its service territory and initiating legal proceedings against offenders. According to a statement issued on Thursday, the crackdown was carried out on the directives of Lesco Chief Executive Officer Engineer Muhammad Ramzan Butt as a part of the utility’s ongoing efforts to curb power theft and safeguard national resources.

According to Lesco spokesperson, 836 power theft cases were detected across various operational circles during the month. Of these, 832 involved domestic connections, while four cases were related to agricultural consumers. During the operations, Lesco charged the offenders with a cumulative 1.649 million electricity units and issued detection bills amounting to Rs69.8 million.

The power utility also recovered Rs11.36m from the consumers involved in electricity theft during the reporting period. Official data showed that the highest number of theft cases was reported in the Okara circle where 277 violations were detected.

The Eastern Lahore circle recorded the second-highest number of cases, with 156 incidents of power theft identified during the month.

As a part of legal action against the offenders, Lesco submitted applications for the registration of 831 FIRs. Police registered 305 FIRs while 11 individuals were arrested in connection with electricity theft cases.

Commenting on the campaign, Chief Executive Officer Engineer Muhammad Ramzan Butt reiterated the company’s commitment to enforcing a zero-tolerance policy against power theft.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026