GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER CENTRAL …

1 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER CENTRAL ELECTRICITY BOARD THE INDIAN ELECTRICITY RULES, 1956 (AS AMENDED UPTO 25TH NOV., 2000) UNDER SECTION 37 OF THE INDIAN ELECTRICITY ACT, 1910 (9 OF 1910) REGULATING THE GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, SUPPLY AND USE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND GENERALLY TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES AND OBJECTS OF THE SAID ACT i CONTENTS Page Rule CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARY 1 Short title and commencement 1 2 Definitions 1 3 Authorisation 5 CHAPTER II INSPECTORS 4 Qualification of Inspectors 6 4A Appointment of officers to assist the Inspectors 7 4B Qualification of officers appointed to assist the Inspectors 7 5 Entry and inspection 8 6 Appeals 8 7 Amount of fees 8 8 Incidence of fees recoverable in the cases of dispute 9 9 Submission of records 9 10 List of consumers 9 CHAPTER III licence 11 Application for licence 9 12 Copies of maps and draft licence for public inspection 10 13 Contents of draft licence 10 14 Form of draft licence 11 15 Advertisement of application and contents thereof 11 16 amendment of draft licence 11 17 Local enquiries 11 18 Approval of draft licence 11 19 notification of grant of licence 12 20 Date of

2 Commencement of licence 12 21 Deposit of maps 12 22 Deposit of printed copies 12 23 Application for written consent of State GOVERNMENT in certain cases 12 24 amendment of licence 12 25 Sale of Plans 13 26 Preparation and submission of accounts 13 27 Model conditions of supply 13 28 Forms of requisitions 13 ii Rule Page CHAPTER IV GENERAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS 29 Construction, installation, protection, operation and maintenance of electric supply lines and apparatus 13 30 Service lines and apparatus on consumer s premises 14 31 Cut-out on consumer s premises 14 32 Identification of earthed and earthed neutral conductors and position of switches and cut-outs therein 14 33 Earthed terminal on consumer s premises 15 34 Accessibility of bare conductors 15 35 Danger notices 16 36 Handling of electric supply lines and apparatus 16 37 Supply to vehicles, cranes, etc. 17 38 Cables for portable or transportable apparatus 17 39 Cables protected by bituminous materials 17 40 Street boxes 17 41 Distinction on different circuits 18 41A Distinction of the installations having more than one feed 18 42 Accidental charge 18 43 Provisions applicable to protective equipment 18 44 Instructions for restoration of persons suffering from electric shocks 19 44A Intimation of accident 19 45 Precautions to be adopted by consumers, owners, occupiers, electrical contractors.

3 Electrical workmen and suppliers 19 46 Periodical inspection and testing of consumer s installation 20 CHAPTER V GENERAL CONDITIONS RELATING TO SUPPLY AND USE OF ENERGY 47 Testing of consumer s installation 21 47A Installation and Testing of Generating Units 21 48 Precautions against leakage before connection 21 49 Leakage on consumer s premises 22 50 Supply and use of energy 22 50A Additional provisions for supply and use of energy in multi-storeyed building (more than 15 metres in height) 24 51 Provisions applicable to medium, high or extra high voltage installations 24 52 Appeal to Inspector in regard to defects 25 53 Cost of inspection and test of consumer s installation 26 54 Declared voltage of supply to consumer 26 55 Declared frequency of supply to consumer 26 56 Sealing of meters and cut-outs 26 57 Meters, maximum demand indicators and other apparatus on consumer s premises 26 58 Point of commencement of supply 27 59 Precautions against failure of supply.

4 Notice of failures 27 iii Rule Page CHAPTER VI ELECTRIC SUPPLY LINES, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR LOW AND MEDIUM VOLTAGES 60 Test for resistance of insulation 28 61 Connection with earth 28 61A Earth leakage protective device 30 62 Systems at medium voltage 30 CHAPTER VII ELECTRIC SUPPLY LINES, SYSTEMS AND APPARATUS FOR HIGH AND EXTRA-HIGH VOLTAGES 63 Approval by Inspector 31 64 Use of energy at high and extra-high voltages 31 64A Additional provisions for use of energy at high and extra-high voltages 35 65 Testing, operation and maintenance 36 66 Metal sheathed electric supply lines; Precautions against excess leakage 37 67 Connection with earth 38 68 General conditions as to transformation and control of energy 39 69 Pole type sub-stations 40 70 Condensers 40 71 Additional provisions for supply to high voltage luminous tube sign installation 40 72 Additional provisions for supply to high voltage electrode boilers 41 73 Supply to X-ray and high frequency installation 42 CHAPTER VIII OVERHEAD LINES 74 Material and strength 43 75 Joints 43 76 Maximum stresses.

5 Factors of safety 44 77 Clearance above ground of the lowest conductor 45 78 Clearance between conductors and trolley wires 45 79 Clearances from buildings of low and medium voltage lines and service lines 46 80 Clearances from buildings of high and extra-high voltage lines 46 81 Conductors at different voltages on same supports 47 82 Erection of or alteration to buildings, structures, flood banks and elevation of roads 47 82A Transporting and Storing of material near overhead lines 48 83 Clearances; General 48 84 Routes; Proximity to aerodromes 48 85 Maximum interval between supports 48 86 Conditions to apply where telecommunication lines and POWER lines are carried on same supports 48 87 Lines crossing or approaching each other 49 88 Guarding 50 iv Rule Page 89 Service-lines from overhead lines 51 90 Earthing 51 91 Safety and protective devices 51 92 Protection against lightning 52 93 Unused overhead lines 52 CHAPTER IX ELECTRIC TRACTION 94 Additional rules for electric traction 52 95 Voltage of supply to vehicle 52 96 Insulation of lines 52 97 Insulation of returns 52 98 Proximity to metallic pipes, etc.

6 53 99 Difference of potential on returns 53 100 Leakage on conduit system 53 101 Leakage on system other than conduit system 53 102 Passengers not to have access to electric circuit 54 103 Current density in rails 54 104 Isolation of sections 54 105 Minimum size and strength of trolley-wire 54 106 Height of trolley-wire and length of span 54 107 Earthing of guard wires 54 107A Proximity to magnetic observatories and laboratories 54 108 Records 54 CHAPTER X ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS TO BE ADOPTED IN MINES AND OIL-FIELDS 109 Application of Chapter 55 110 Responsibility for observance 55 111 Notices 55 112 Plans 55 113 Lighting, communications and fire precautions 56 114 Isolation and fixing of transformer, switch-gear, etc. 56 115 Method of earthing 56 116 Protective equipment 56 117 Earthing metal, etc. 56 118 Voltage limits 57 119 Transformers 57 120 Switchgear and Terminals 57 121 Disconnection of supply 58 122 Cables 58 123 Flexible cables 59 124 Portable and transportable machines 61 v Rule Page 125 Sundry precautions 61 126 Precautions where gas exists 61 127 Shot-firing 64 128 Signalling 64 129 Haulage 64 130 Earthing of neutral points 65 131 Supervision 65 132 Exemptions 65 CHAPTER XI MISCELLANEOUS 133 Relaxation by GOVERNMENT 66 134 Relaxation by Inspector 66 135 Supply and use of energy by non-licensees and others 66 136 Responsibility of Agents and Managers 66 137 Mode of entry 66 138 Penalty for breaking seal 66 138A Penalty for breach of rule 44A 67 139 Penalty for breach of rule 45 67 140 Penalty for breach of rule 82 67 140A Penalty for breach of rule 77.

7 79 or 80 67 141 Penalty for breach of rules 67 142 Application of rules 68 143 Repeal 68 Annexure I Specification relating to the deposition of Silver 68 Annexure II Scale of fees for comparison with the GOVERNMENT of INDIA Standards referred to in sub-rule (I) of Rule 2 68 Annexure III Model form of draft licence 69 Annexure IV Summary of Technical and Financial particulars 71 Annexure V Model form of accounts 74 Annexure VI Model form of draft conditions of supply 94 Annexure VII Form of requisition under Clause V(4) of the Schedule of the Act 103 Annexure VIII Form of requisition for supply of energy under Clause VI(5) of the Schedule to the Act 104 Annexure IX Form of order under sub-rule (4) of Rule 5, sub-rule (2) of Rule 46 105 Annexure IX-A Model forms of Inspection report 106 Annexure X Form of Annual returns for Mines 116 Annexure XI Form of Annual Return for Oil-fields 118 Annexure XII Log Sheet for Mines and Oil-fields 119 Annexure XIII Form for reporting electrical accidents 119 Annexure XIV Guidelines for providing training 122 Annexure XV Form for failure report for transformers/reactors of 20 MVA and above 124 1 MINISTRY OF IRRIGATION AND POWER notification New Delhi, the 26th June, 1956 1455.

8 In exercise of the powers conferred by section 37 of the Indian Electricity Act,1910(9 of 1910), the CENTRAL Electricity Board hereby makes the following rules, the same having been previously published as requiured by sub-section(1) of section 38 of the said Act namely:- RULES CHAPTER I PRELIMINARY 1. Short title and commencement-(1) These rules may be called the Indian Electricity Rules,1956. (2) They shall come into force at once. 2. Definitions:- (1) In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) the Act means the Indian Electricity Act,1910; (b) Accessible means within physical reach without the use of any appliance or special effort; (c) Ampere means a unit of electric current and is the unvarying electric current which when passed through a solution of nitrate of silver in water, in accordance with the specification set out in Annexure- I, deposits silver at the rate of of a grams per second.

9 The aforesaid unit is equivalent to the current which, in passing through the suspended coil of wire forming part of the instrument marked GOVERNMENT of INDIA Ampere Standard Verified when the suspended coil is in its sighted position, exerts a force which is exactly balanced by the force exerted by gravity in Calcutta on the counter balancing iridio-platinum weight of the said instrument; (d) Annexure means an Annexure to these rules; (e) apparatus means electrical apparatus and includes all machines, fittings, accessories and appliances in which conductors are used; (ee) authorised person means a person authorised under rule3; (f) bare means not covered with insulating materials; (g) cable means a length of insulated single conductor(solid or stranded or of two or more such conductors each provided with its own insulation, which are laid up together.)

10 Such insulated conductor or conductors may or may not be provided with an overall mechanical protective covering; (gg) flexible cable means a cable consisting of one or more cores each formed of a group of wires, the diameter and the physical properties of the wires and insulating material being such as to afford flexibility. (h) circuit means an arrangement of conductor or conductors for the purpose of conveying energy and forming a system or a branch of a system; (i) circuit breaker means a device, capable of making and breaking the circuit under all conditions, and unless otherwise specified, so designed as to break the current automatically under abnormal conditions; 2 (j) concentric cable means a composite cable comprising an inner conductor which is insulated and one or more outer conductors which are insulated from one another and are disposed over the insulation of, and more or less around, the inner conductor; (k) conductor means any wire, cable, bar, tube, rail or plate used for conducting energy and so arranged as to be electrically connected to a system.