New Delhi, July 31 (IANS): Large parts of north and east India went without power today as the Northern Grid and sections of the Eastern and Northeastern Grid broke down, affecting supply in 10 States and paralysing train traffic as well as essential services such as the Delhi Metro.
The Northern Grid had collapsed on Monday, leading to power outages across seven States, including the national capital, and supply could be restored only by afternoon. According to officials, power supply in over 10 states in north and east India has been hit.
"Grid incident occurred at 1 pm affecting the Northern, Eastern and Northeastern Grid. System is under restoration," said the official website of the Eastern Grid.
Train services in the region came to a complete halt due to the power failure, a railway spokesperson in Kolkata said. "About 150-200 trains have been affected by power failure," said a Northern Railway official.
The Delhi Metro suspended service on all six lines as power tripped for the second consecutive day. It normally operates over 2,700 trips a day, covering a total of about 70,000 km and carrying around 1.8 million passengers on week days.
"Due to Northern Grid failure, all train services have been suspended and entry to all stations stopped. The trains, which are plying right now, are being brought to the nearest station for evacuation," a Delhi Metro official said.
"Nine trains were in the tunnel, and were immediately brought to the nearest station and the passengers were evacuated and refunded the amount. No passengers are stranded in the tunnel," the Metro official added.
