Smart meter pilot project completed in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, May 7

After several extensions of the deadline, the UT Administration has finally completed the pilot project of installation of smart electricity meters in the city.

Under the project, more than 24,000 smart meters have been installed in five sectors and six villages of the city. Now, the department does not need manual meter reading in these areas. Also, if someone now tampers with a meter, then the department will immediately get to know about it. The UT Administration had in October set a target to complete the pilot project by March 31 this year.

It had also planned to replace all electricity meters with smart ones in the entire city by the 2022-23 fiscal. The project was allotted to the government-owned Regional Electricity Corporation in 2018 and was to be completed by June 2020. However, nearly 50 per cent of the work could be completed in October last year. Under the pilot project, nearly 24,000 smart meters have to be installed in Sector 29, 31, 47 and 48, Faidan, Ram Darbar, Hallo Majra, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra and Daria villages and the Industrial Area Phase 1 and 2.

In this regard, an official of the Electricity Department said they had completed the work under the smart grid project. The project for installing smart meters in the entire city would be approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs, after which the work would start, he said. The Central Government had approved Rs 241 crore in May last year for the installation of smart meters in the entire city under the smart grid project, but the work on the pilot project could not be completed due to the Covid pandemic.

Rs 241-crore plan

The Centre had approved Rs 241 crore in May last year for the installation of smart meters in the entire city under the smart grid project, but the work on the pilot project could not be completed due to Covid.