Latest news with #Regulations2009
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
India's power grid gets a summer scare
New Delhi: India faced a power grid scare last week as electricity withdrawn from the transmission network exceeded the available capacity, raising fears about the grid's stability. The available transfer capability (ATC) in the western-to-northern corridor was about 22 gigawatts (GW) against the actual flow of 24.14 GW on 15 June, showed a notice sent to utilities by Grid India Corp. ATC is the volume of power that can be safely supplied between two points. The national power grid controller wrote to the generators and electricity distribution companies (discoms) in the northern region to either lower the withdrawal or ramp up generation. Also read: NHPC shelves plan for co-promoter stake buy in PTC India After temperatures eased in May, there was a heat wave in June, which would have increased the demand, mostly in northern India, leading to congestion, said Vikram V, vice-president and co-group head, corporate ratings, ICRA Ltd. A grid collapse is the worst-case scenario. Nearly 620 million people across 19 states and three Union territories went without electricity for hours together when the northern grid collapsed on 31 July 2012. In a wider blackout, the northern, eastern and north-eastern grids broke down on 1 August 2012. India now has a unified national grid. Vikram said instances of overdrawing were quite common till 2014-25, but have declined since then. Usually, in case of congestion, the grid operator may direct the utilities to reduce the offtake to avert any kind of impact on the grid. Issues arise when discoms draw larger than scheduled power from the inter-state grid to meet the high demand, he said. Addressing entities in the northern region 'over-drawing or under-injecting" power to the grid, the controller's notice said: 'The following regional entities, which are downstream of the congested corridor, are advised to reduce their drawal/increase their generation to decongest the system." Also read: EESL signs energy efficiency pacts worth ₹500 crore Grid India told the utilities in western and southern India to increase demand or decrease generation to decongest the corridor. 'This is a warning notice before levy of congestion charges and issued in accordance with the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Measures to relieve congestion in real time operation) Regulations 2009," the notice said. The peak power demand of the country hit 241 GW, the highest this year, on 11 June. That day, the peak demand in the national capital reached 8,231 MW, nearing the record of 8,656 MW recorded last year. The peak demand on 15 June was 226 GW, also on the higher end. Tardy grid expansion Experts suggest that grid expansion is key for reducing incidences of congestion. More so when the installed renewable energy capacity has been rising. Although the government has an ambitious road map to expand the grid, progress has been slow amid land acquisition and right-of-way issues. Data from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) showed that in FY25, only 8,830 circuit kilometres (ckm) of transmission lines were added, 37.8% lower than 14,203 ckm in the previous fiscal and way short of the target of 15,253 ckm. Mint earlier reported that clouds over vast swathes of north India in May had caused abrupt dips in solar power production, raising worries about the stability of the power grid that serves millions of Indians. Also read: Top power authority mulls sops for critical components as China curbs rare earth supply In February, the national grid operator asked all electricity companies to be alert and supply power to preserve the grid's stability. An analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in March said that countries seeking to prevent or address grid congestion should adopt a proactive approach to grid expansion by means of anticipatory planning and regulatory reforms that incentivize investments in line with countries' energy policy priorities. Congestion can also be mitigated by implementing grid-enhancing technologies, increasing transparency on available capacity, and creating regulatory frameworks and clear price signals to unlock flexibility from consumers, producers and energy-storage assets connected to the grid.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Book swap to return to some Tube stations
A free book exchange scheme is being restored at some London Underground stations after it was controversially suspended over fire safety concerns. Transport for London (TfL) said the Book Swaps scheme could return to 15 surface-level Tube stations next month after a "suitable fire-proof storage solution" was found. The ban had come into effect last month after London Fire Brigade (LFB) said "combustible material poses a fire safety risk". Steve Dudeney, a former LFB borough commander, criticised the move, branding it as "ridiculous", but LFB commissioner Andy Roe said while they "celebrate the tradition of Londoners sharing books", it must be "managed safely". Prior to the suspension, 31 stations had the book swap scheme including at Oval and Lewisham. New cabinets will be introduced at 15 stations, starting with High Barnet. A TfL spokesperson said it had worked with LFB to ensure the new cabinets, which are sourced from a third-party supplier, were "compliant with fire safety regulations and meet the unique requirements for the London Underground in terms of fire safety, accessibility, and network security". Andy Lord, the transport body's commissioner, said: "We know how important the community book swap libraries are to our customers, and I am pleased that, working together, we have now been able to reintroduce them to our surface stations." TfL would work with the brigade to address issues at sub-surface Tube stations which were subject to "more stringent regulations", a spokesperson added. Section 7 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 states: "All parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse." The Book Swaps cabinets will be installed at the following stations: Acton Town Cockfosters Ealing Common East Finchley Hammersmith High Barnet Kew Gardens Kilburn Morden Northfields Oakwood Ravenscourt Park Stamford Brook Totteridge & Whetstone Willesden Green Mr Roe said the leaders of both LFB and TfL were committed to taking "every step to keep people safe". "Therefore, it was right to review the use of book libraries and work together, as we have done, to examine the risk posed and explore ways to mitigate it," he said. London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan welcomed the return of the mini libraries to the surface-level stations, and said he wanted "to see a solution as soon as possible" for them to return to sub-surface ones. "I know from personal experience and talking to commuters what a difference they make across London," he added. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Tube station book swap ban 'ridiculous' Tube fan ranks every stop on the London Underground The wise words inspiring Tube commuters
BBC News
29-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Book swap to return to 15 surface-level London Tube stations
A free book exchange scheme is being restored at some London Underground stations after it was controversially suspended over fire safety for London (TfL) said the Book Swaps scheme could return to 15 surface-level Tube stations next month after a "suitable fire-proof storage solution" was ban had come into effect last month after London Fire Brigade (LFB) said "combustible material poses a fire safety risk".Steve Dudeney, a former LFB borough commander, criticised the move, branding it as "ridiculous", but LFB commissioner Andy Roe said while they "celebrate the tradition of Londoners sharing books", it must be "managed safely". Prior to the suspension, 31 stations had the book swap scheme including at Oval and Lewisham. New cabinets will be introduced at 15 stations, starting with High Barnet.A TfL spokesperson said it had worked with LFB to ensure the new cabinets, which are sourced from a third-party supplier, were "compliant with fire safety regulations and meet the unique requirements for the London Underground in terms of fire safety, accessibility, and network security".Andy Lord, the transport body's commissioner, said: "We know how important the community book swap libraries are to our customers, and I am pleased that, working together, we have now been able to reintroduce them to our surface stations."TfL would work with the brigade to address issues at sub-surface Tube stations which were subject to "more stringent regulations", a spokesperson 7 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 states: "All parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse." The Book Swaps cabinets will be installed at the following stations: Acton TownCockfostersEaling CommonEast FinchleyHammersmithHigh BarnetKew GardensKilburnMordenNorthfieldsOakwoodRavenscourt ParkStamford BrookTotteridge & WhetstoneWillesden Green Mr Roe said the leaders of both LFB and TfL were committed to taking "every step to keep people safe"."Therefore, it was right to review the use of book libraries and work together, as we have done, to examine the risk posed and explore ways to mitigate it," he mayor Sir Sadiq Khan welcomed the return of the mini libraries to the surface-level stations, and said he wanted "to see a solution as soon as possible" for them to return to sub-surface ones."I know from personal experience and talking to commuters what a difference they make across London," he added.
Telegraph
15-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
The London Fire Brigade is fanning the flames of idiocy
In a world of digital brutality, AI and eyes glued to phones, there has been one site of soul-warming sanctity. For more than 10 years in London Tube stations such as Clapham North and Oval, there have been shelves filled with books. The bookcases contain used novels, non-fiction works, self-help titles, travel guides and so much more, and they're known as book exchanges. They are ideal for those who still relish the printed word over the likes of Kindle but who have no space for such used tomes at home. And the prisons, hospitals and market stalls have no room either. So what better idea than to leave a finished book in a tube station, then pick another in its place? As the commuting cattle heave their way to and from work, the book exchanges offer a moment of human contact and the charm of swapped experiences. There are smiles between people and brief conversations. That was before the heavy hand of London Fire Brigade became involved. And it wasn't donating a collection of emergency services-related literature. 'We are working with Transport for London with regards to their responsibility to remove all book libraries from subsurface stations. This is due to combustible material posing a fire safety risk,' said an actual human being employed by the organisation. And, yes, Section 7 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 does state that: 'All parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse' but the eagle eyed among you will see that these regulations have been in place for 16 years and only now is the policy being followed to the letter. So, in a sort of reversed historical metaphor, the London Fire Brigade is echoing the Nazi regime of 1933 by banning books from the London Underground, in case they burn. 'Non-subsurface stations have been asked to remove book libraries from display,' went the order, and the book-banning flunkies duly made their way to the offending stations and confiscated what they call 'combustible material'. And, of course, what these utter fools didn't do was to claim as their own any of the free newspapers that pile up and blow around tube and railway stations across the country and are, as this pyromaniac can assure you, far more flammable than any book. To seek to remove these books is the action of a pen-pushing idiot seeking easy prey in the complex issue of fire safety. A pile of books would never be the initial cause, nor final nail, in the coffin of a tragedy. But, with traffic-warden mentality, some gloomy pedant has cast their eye around for an easy win in their tedious day and landed on this soft target. Far too irksome to gather actual train drivers, operators and related folk around a table to discuss the issue, lest they do something like go on strike. Instead, they point a finger at the little minnows at the station and then, doubtless gloriously wasting hours, days, or months even drafting a diktat, they issue their nasty little order to have the books removed under the cover that 'the safety of those using the using the London transport network is our priority.' There is, within a single bookcase in a station such as Oval, more culture, history and humanity than these futile, feeble minds at the London Fire Brigade dare to ever experience. I'd even go as far as to suggest that the human contact, learning and brain food encouraged and nourished by these book exchanges is actually well worth any remote fire risk. As I write there's the suggestion that the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, might step in and reverse the decision, to which I'd cry, 'Go Sadiq and have four more years!' Although feel free to keep the ban at Highbury & Islington station. It's a pretty dodgy set of books, full of left-wing literature, vegan recipes and yoga; all of which look very flammable to me.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tube station book swap ban 'ridiculous'
A decision to end free book exchanges at London Underground stations on safety grounds has been branded "ridiculous" by a former fire chief. The benefits of these mini-libraries, which have operated in stations across London for years, outweigh the fire risks, according to former London Fire Brigade (LFB) borough commander Steve Dudeney who called the ban "overkill". LFB said "combustible material poses a fire safety risk", while Transport for London (TfL) said it would work "to see if book swaps can be reintroduced". Tian, who commutes from Oval Tube station in south London, said: "It's not a tragedy compared to other things happening in the world but it's disappointing for local residents." A source close to mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, told BBC London that the mayor had "stepped in". "We are looking to reverse this decision as soon as possible. TfL are working urgently with LFB to ensure this happens," they added. Section 7 of the Fire Precautions (Sub-surface Railway Stations) (England) Regulations 2009 states: "All parts of station premises must be kept clear of any accumulation of combustible refuse." Mr Dudeney said: "Bearing in mind those regulations have been in place for 16 years and there hasn't been a fire… I think it's a ridiculous application. It's overkill. "If you've got a small bookshelf on a platform and in the upstairs area, the risk is there but it's negligible. "Someone has taken the legislation to the nth degree without using experience and skill to use a proper assessment of the risk." Tian added: "I'm obviously quite dismayed and disappointed. "Firstly, it feels heavy-handed particularly because where the book exchange is is at the street level and, secondly, there are still the daily free newspapers in the station. "It just felt very sudden and it wasn't really clear why it was a fire safety issue." Kamal Shah, chair of North Harrow Community Library, said he "could see both sides". He said: "I can see why people are upset. It's unfortunate but I feel that TfL are not entirely to blame here. "The biggest problem is people being inconsiderate; if people hadn't been vandalising them or dumping stuff around the shelving, TfL would have been happy to carry on the scheme "There are other places where [book swaps] happen which are more sustainable than stations." Tube fan ranks every stop on the London Underground Library waives 48-year fine after Canada book return The wise words inspiring Tube commuters An LFB spokesperson said: "We are working with TfL with regards to their responsibility to remove all book libraries from subsurface stations. "This is due to combustible material posing a fire safety risk if it is stored on these premises. "Non-subsurface stations have been asked to remove book libraries from display until they have the correct fire safety plans in place." A spokesperson for TfL said: "We work very closely with LFB and other emergency services to ensure our services run safely and, following guidance from the fire service, we have advised our staff to remove book swaps from stations. "We will also work with local communities to redistribute books to alternative local locations in the meantime." Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to
