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Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Greater Noida: Man dozes on duty, causing feeder outage; suspended
GREATER NOIDA: A technician posted at a 33/11 kV power substation in Greater Noida has been suspended after being allegedly found asleep on duty, leading to an unnecessary feeder shutdown and disruption in power supply, said Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited, Noida Zone, officials on Wednesday. Rahul Chaudhary, was deployed at the Ithaira power substation as sub-station operator, under the electricity distribution subdivision of Greater Noida, they added. Discom officials said that on June 8 night, he unnecessarily switched off 11kV(kilovolt) feeder number 5 at the substation. When consumers and the sub-divisional officer (SDO) tried to contact the substation's department to inquire about the outage, Chaudhary did not respond. Around 2.50am, as the SDO inspected the substation Chaudhary was found asleep. 'During a surprise inspection on June 8 around midnight, the staffer posted at 33/11 kV Itaihara substation was found asleep while an 11kV feeder had been unnecessarily shut down, affecting power supply to consumers. His conduct reflected negligence and violation of service norms. He has now been suspended pending further inquiry,' said Rahul Sharma, executive engineer, electricity distribution division, Greater Noida. Additionally, the log sheet reportedly contained no entry regarding the feeder shutdown or any details post 11pm, raising concerns about negligence and dereliction of duty. Officials said that the department observed that power outage due to staffer's actions not only disrupted supply to consumers but also tarnished the department's image. It found Chaudhary prima-facie guilty of negligence, failure to perform his responsibilities, and in violation of rule 3 of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants Conduct Rules, 1956 (breach of conduct expected by employees. 'During suspension, Chaudhary will remain attached to the 33/11 kV Bhatta substation and will be entitled to subsistence allowance as per rules. However, this payment will be subject to his submission of a certificate declaring that he is not engaged in any employment, trade, or profession during the suspension period,' Sharma added.
Indian Express
11-06-2025
- Indian Express
Discoms: Power theft by e-rickshaws leads to losses of Rs 120 cr a yr
E-rickshaws in Delhi cause power losses of up to Rs 120 crore each year, officials from the city's power distribution companies said. According to sources, there are around 1.6 lakh e-rickshaws plying in Delhi but only about 50,000 are registered. 'In Delhi, it is estimated that over 60% 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… This not only causes revenue loss but also leads to safety hazards,' said a senior official. On Sunday, two men were killed in a fire that broke out at a house in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden while two e-rickshaws were being charged. Last week, fire had erupted at an e-rickshaw charging station in the Ghonda in Northeast Delhi. Discom officials said the rickshaws were charged in batches 'as part of an organised illegal network controlled by local strongmen'. 'E-rickshaw owners/drivers pay a fixed fee of Rs 200-300 per day per e-rickshaw to the parking and charging mafia… The operators use illegal wiretapping from low-voltage mains to steal electricity. Some strongmen own several e-rickshaws and rent them to drivers,' said a senior discom official. Some of the areas where frequent power thefts by e-rickshaws have been witnessed across the city are Mandawali, Minto Road,Karol Bagh, Jama Masjid. Sangam Vihar, Batla House, Sarai Kale Khan, Tagore Garden, Paschim Vihar, Civil Lines, Mukherjee Nagar, and Narela. 'E-rickshaws are not dangerous; however, their illegal charging through direct theft and the use of sub-standard batteries are significant safety hazards. Exposed electricity wires left open during illegal charging and non-adherence to safety standards often cause sparks and short circuits. These exposed live wires also pose a danger to the public, especially children playing in these areas during the daytime. Such open wires have led to electrocutions in the past,' said officials. Officials said that this also leads to stress on the existing network causing possible breakdowns and voltage issues, inconveniencing other consumers in the area. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has a special tariff category for e-rickshaw charging at Rs 4.50 per unit to encourage legal connections.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
EVs, green hydrogen, data centres to catalyse India's electricity demand in next 5 years: ICRA
A trifecta of accelerating electric vehicle (EV) adoption, green hydrogen (GH), and an increase in data centre capacity is expected to significantly catalyse electricity demand between FY26 and FY30, according to ICRA. The electricity demand in India over the next five years will achieve a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6-6.5 per cent, higher than the nearly 5 per cent CAGR achieved in the last 10 years, driven by the abovementioned three sectors, the ratings agency said in a research note, which ETAuto has reviewed. 'These three segments are expected to contribute to 20-25 per cent of the incremental demand over the next five-year period from FY26 to FY30. The growth in demand for grid capacity is expected to be offset to some extent, by the rising adoption of rooftop solar and off-grid projects, driven by schemes such as the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana,' said Vikram V, vice president & co-group head (corporate ratings), ICRA. For the EV, in particular, ICRA said the sector is expected to witness an increase in penetration across the segments, primarily led by the adoption of three-wheelers, followed by two-wheelers, e-buses, and passenger vehicles. Regarding GH, ICRA said it considered a gradual scale-up in capacity, given the relatively higher cost of GH against grey hydrogen currently. 'While a major portion of the incremental demand is expected to be met through increase in the renewable energy (RE) capacity, the Central and state governments are encouraging new thermal power projects to ensure sufficient buffer in the installed capacity to meet the growing demand,' ICRA said. The ratings agency has projected a modest 5–5.5per cent growth in electricity demand in FY26, lower than the country's expected GDP growth of 6.5per cent, attributing it to an early monsoon that is likely to affect demand for cooling and for agricultural activities. Though this marks an improvement over the 4.2 per cent growth seen in FY25, it falls short of the 8 per cent growth between FY22 and FY24. Despite renewable energy driving most of the upcoming 44 GW power capacity addition in FY26, coal-based capacity is also expected to grow by 9–10 GW as a buffer. This dual strategy reflects government efforts to ensure grid reliability while managing clean energy transitions, said ICRA. Discom finances remain a concern amid EV-driven load increase Distribution companies (discoms), which are key to delivering reliable charging infrastructure, continue to face financial strain. Discom debt rose to ₹7.4 trillion by March 2024, and tariff hikes remain subdued. ICRA projects the all-India cash gap at 35 paise per unit for FY2026 and maintains a negative outlook on the distribution segment. 'ICRA's outlook for the power distribution segment remains Negative amid limited tariff hikes and continued lossmaking operations. The progress in the smart metering programme along with the timely implementation of fuel & power purchase cost adjustment framework would play an important role in improving the discom finances, going forward,' said Vikram V.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Over Rs6,235 crore to be spent for installing 51.95L ToD meters in Vid
Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), backed by central govt funds, is all set to spend Rs 6,235 crore for installing around 51.95 lakh Time of Day (ToD) or smart meters in all eleven districts in Vidarbha. The MSEDCL had earlier suggested that they would install smart prepaid meters, but the move attracted opposition and public outcry. After this backlash, the MSEDCL dropped the plan for prepaid meters and introduced the ToD meter plan. However, even though the plan changed, the smart meters remain the same. The MSEDCL, which provides electricity to most of Maharashtra, except for a few areas in Mumbai, has awarded tenders to different companies to supply smart meters. As per MSEDCL sources, the Discom has already started installing smart ToD meters, and in Vidarbha, around 51.95 lakh meters would be installed. "Each meter costs around Rs12,000, including 10 years of annual maintenance from the company which supplied the meters. ToD smart meters provide real-time consumption details to the consumer as well as the Discom. It will stop power theft and manipulation in the current manual billing system, which will reduce Discom's losses exponentially," said sources, adding that around 40% of the cost would be borne by the central govt and 60% by MSEDCL for installing smart meters across the state. This takes the cost of installing 51.95 lakh smart meters in Vidarbha to Rs 6,235 crore. MSEDCL is implementing smart meter installations under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) of the central govt. This initiative aims to modernise the power distribution sector by improving efficiency and accountability. Smart meters are being installed for new connections, faulty meter replacements, and at feeder and distribution transformer levels. As per statistics from MSEDCL, in Nagpur city, 9.45 lakh ToD meters would be installed, while in Nagpur rural, 3.44 lakh meters would be installed. Out of these, 70,000 smart meters have so far been installed in the district by the MSEDCL. "The money for installing smart meters is not paid upfront to the companies; rather, a billing system is in place, and they are paid monthly as per the meters the company has installed," said MSEDCL sources. A senior MSEDCL official said that losses incurred by the company due to power theft and manipulation raise the burden on consumers. "Once the smart meters are installed, the losses would be reduced, and it will benefit the consumers in the end," said the official. After Nagpur, Amravati district will see the highest number of smart meter installations, i.e., 6.32 lakh, followed by Yavatmal with five lakh, Buldhana with 4.67 lakh, and other districts in Vidarbha. VIDARBHA SCENARIO District — Smart Meters Akola — 3.83 lakh Buldhana — 4.67 lakh Washim — 1.92 lakh| Amravati — 6.32 lakh Yavatmal — 5 lakh Chandrapur — 4.14 lakh Gadchiroli — 3.25 lakh Gondia — 2.98 lakh Bhandara — 2.91 lakh Wardha — 3.98 lakh Nagpur City — 9.45 lakh Nagpur Rural — 3.44 lakh
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MSEDCL rolls out smart ToD meters for real-time consumption tracking
Nagpur: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited ( ) has begun large-scale installation of Time of Day (ToD) meters or smart meters, which it claims is aimed at empowering electricity consumers with real-time usage data and enhanced billing transparency — all at no additional cost. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now MSEDCL sources said that so far, over 70,000 meters have been installed across Nagpur district, with the initiative covering govt offices, semi-govt institutions, official residences, and about 20,000 new consumers. "The project is now expanding to residential consumers in a phased manner," sources said. MSEDCL officials said that these smart meters provide hourly consumption details directly to consumers' mobile phones, enabling better control over power usage and monthly bills. "The meters are postpaid and will be billed as per actual meter readings, eliminating the scope for estimation errors," said the official. According to MSEDCL, the ToD meters were certified by nationally accredited laboratories to ensure accurate billing based on actual usage. "As these meters will reduce commercial losses and electricity theft, consumers will not bear any financial burden," said MSEDCL. However, the installation of ToD or smart meters was opposed by a number of power experts, consumers, and contractual workers who feared their jobs would cease to exist. MSEDCL officials claimed that the opposition is baseless and urged citizens not to fall prey to rumours. The company emphasised that public cooperation is essential for the successful rollout of this technology. While a previous plan to deploy smart meters across Maharashtra was temporarily shelved due to public opposition ahead of state elections, MSEDCL continued its rollout under a Central Govt-funded initiative. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The smart meters are backed and maintained by contractors for a period of 10 years," said Discom, the electricity distribution company. Each smart meter is connected to MSEDCL's central server via a communication port, enabling real-time data sharing. These smart meters also facilitate remote disconnection for defaulters, saving time and resources previously spent on field visits. Consumers with rooftop solar systems will also benefit, as the new meters provide timely details on the import-export of electricity, ensuring fair and transparent settlements. Benefits of ToD meters * Real-time monitoring: Consumers can monitor electricity usage on an hourly basis on their mobile phones * Transparent billing: As readings are automatic and precise, chances of overbilling or errors are eliminated * Theft detection: Any tampering attempts are instantly reported to MSEDCL, curbing theft * Day-night tariff advantage: The ToD feature enables consumers to benefit from cheaper daytime electricity rates, something old meters cannot offer * Instant compensation: In case of extended power outages, consumers will be eligible for automatic compensation
