Massive power failure: How it happened

New Delhi: In the small hours of last night, huge parts of North India were plunged in darkness as the Northern Grid collapsed. Many people in eight states have spent the night and much of the morning without electricity. It has affected trains, metro services in Delhi and water supply across the states. (Read: No power, no water, no metro in Delhi)

Government sources say at 2.33 am, power tripped. Within 23 seconds the power plants began shutting down and soon Northern India had its worst grid collapse since 2001. (Read: What caused the power failure)

The sources say while the cause is investigated, there is an urgent need for more discipline from states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, which have been accused of overdrawing power. (Read: Top 10 developments)

The power ministry sources say frequencies must be tightened and the grid must not be used indiscriminately.

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Chairman of the state-run Uttar Pradesh state Power Corporation Avinash Awasthi too has said the power grid collapsed because some states apparently drew more power than they were authorised to do to meet the rising demand during the summer.

Seven states including UP, Punjab, Haryana, and all of Delhi were affected by today's grid collapse; 370 million people were affected - that's more than the population of the United States and Canada combined. (Comment here)

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