13-8-2023 (HANOI) The heart of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, throbs with concern as the relentless scourge of theft casts a pall over its high-voltage power grid. The Hanoi High-voltage Power Grid company has sounded the alarm, revealing that a staggering 2,000 meters of critical earthing leads have been pilfered since the onset of April. A disconcerting tally that paints a grim picture of vulnerability and disruption.
Amid the sprawling landscape of the bustling metropolis, the firm stands as the custodian of 68 high-voltage power pylons. However, a lamentable 32 of these towering sentinels have fallen victim to the unrelenting greed of thieves, stripped bare of their vital earthing leads.
The extent of the theft’s audacity is exemplified by the audacious methods employed. At the core of this issue lies the grim reality that ill-intentioned actors have executed a series of meticulously planned strikes, cutting cables with surgical precision and extracting the coveted copper cores. The aftermath is a haunting tableau – lifeless husks of cables strewn beneath the pylons they once fortified. It is a cycle of destruction and repair that defies reason – as cables are diligently mended, only to be cruelly severed and gutted once more. In the case of certain pylons within Ha Dong District, the toll has been exacted a staggering eight times, underscoring the audacity of these criminal acts.
The Hanoi High-voltage Power Grid company has not remained passive in the face of this brazen onslaught. An array of countermeasures has been unleashed in an attempt to quell the surge of thefts. Warning signs, barbed wire, and the removal of ladders that facilitate unauthorized access to the pylons have all been employed in a desperate bid to safeguard this critical infrastructure. Yet, the resilience of these criminals has thwarted these efforts, perpetuating a cycle of vulnerability and desolation.
The ramifications of this wave of theft extend beyond the realm of material losses. Nguyen Duc Hung, the deputy head of the company’s power grid operation unit, elucidated the critical role of earthing leads. These conduits play a pivotal role in directing lightning strikes harmlessly towards the ground, averting catastrophic damage to cables and associated equipment within the grid. The loss of these earthing leads jeopardizes not only the operational integrity of the power grid but also poses a grave threat to the safety of its users.
As the tally of stolen earthing leads reaches an alarming 2,000 meters, the calculated damage wrought by this criminal wave approaches a staggering VND1 billion ($42,087). The company has diligently reported these brazen raids to the authorities, yet the apprehension of those culpable remains elusive, perpetuating a climate of uncertainty and insecurity.
