New Delhi: In the wake of massive grid failures that affected half of country`s population last week, Power Minister Veerappa Moily on Monday said independent audit of transmission grids would be carried out within three months.
There would be third party audit of the protection systems for power grids within three months and the process would be monitored by regional power committees, Moily told reporters here.
He was speaking to reporters after his meeting with chief ministers and representatives from various northern states and Chandigarh union territory.
Following the collapse of three grids -- Northern, Eastern and North Eastern -- on July 31, Moily had called for meeting of chief ministers and state government officials to discuss related issues.
The tripping of grids on July 31 happened less than 24 hours after Northern Grid failed and was restored.
According to the Minister, states would prepare long, medium and short term plans regarding procurement of power as well as demand management. The progress would be reviewed by the regional power committees.
Moily, who took over as Power Minister last week, said that defence plans of states, in case of grid failures, should include islanding schemes, special protection and automatic demand management schemes.
Earlier in the day, Power Secretary P Uma Shankar chaired a meeting that was attended by members of various sectoral bodies and Power Grid, besides officials from eight northern states and Chandigarh UT, among others.
India has five electricity grids -- Northern, Eastern, North Eastern, Southern and Western. All of them are inter- connected, except the Southern grid.
PTI
