NEW DELHI: After repeated major blackouts exposed the fragility of north Delhi’s grid, Delhi is moving to fortify power to Civil Lines — home to Raj Niwas, the chief minister’s residence, and the Vidhan Sabha.
Officials said on Friday that a new substation and a battery energy storage system (BESS) are planned to provide an alternate feed for VVIP installations and critical infrastructure, reducing reliance on the 400 kV Mandola source.
“Uninterrupted supply to Raj Niwas, the chief minister’s house, Vidhan Sabha and other VVIP installations is very critical. It is imperative to establish an alternate source to ensure reliable supply in case of any critical contingency affecting the primary source,” a senior government official privy to the information said.
TPDDL has asked Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) for an alternate feed at the Timarpur 220 kV substation via the 220 kV Sarita Vihar substation, officials said. DTL is also considering a 400 kV substation at Gopalpur to further reduce dependency on Mandola and boost regional stability.
Outages at Mandola have wide effects. In August, a sudden 550 MW drop from 220 kV grids caused a blackout that left nearly eight lakh residents in parts of north Delhi without power. Several areas of North Delhi, in June last year, also faced outages for varying lengths as the substation of power grid in neighbouring UP’s Mandola caught fire.
Delhi receives about 1,200 MW from Mandola, and failures there can disrupt the metro and the Inter Bus Terminus at Kashmere Gate, officials noted. At its recent Operation Coordination Committee meeting, the administration advised TPDDL to plan a BESS to supply the VVIP network during emergencies.
OCC had emphasised that contingency arrangements for VVIP feeds and rapid restoration were essential to prevent disruptions during high-profile events. Officials said improved redundancy would help manage sudden load drops.
The committee has directed discoms BYPL and TPDDL to ensure back-feeding arrangements for the 33 kV Sabzi Mandi substation via Wazirpur and Devnagar so essential feeders can be maintained during a full shutdown.
Officials said the government is preparing a standard operating procedure (SOP) for quicker restoration during major outages, part of a broader push to harden the system and improve contingency response across the capital.
Outages at Mandola have wide effects, say officials
According to officials, outages at Mandola have wide effects. In August, a sudden 550 MW drop from 220 kV grids caused a blackout that left nearly eight lakh residents in parts of north Delhi without power. A fire at a Power Grid substation in Mandola last June also prompted rolling outages. Delhi receives about 1,200 MW from Mandola, and failures there can disrupt the metro and the Inter Bus Terminus at Kashmere Gate. The matter was discussed in Delhi’s Operation Coordination Committee meeting