New Delhi (NVI): Minutes after people voluntarily switched off lights at 9 pm tonight, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to show solidarity in the fight against COVID-19, Union Power Minister RK Singh said the nine-minute ‘lights-out’ event went smoothly and there was no impact on electricity grid functioning, contrary to apprehensions.
PM Modi had on Friday asked citizens to stand in their balconies for 9 minutes with candles and lamps, or mobile flashlights to mark the march from darkness to light while maintaining social distancing.
Earlier, there were apprehensions that switching off lights simultaneously for nine minutes could lead the grid to collapse.
In a series of tweets, the Power Minister said the exercise was a success and there was no adverse effect on the electricity grid across the country and it remained stable during the event.
“The demand went down from 117300 Megawatts at 2049 hrs to 85300 Megawatts till 2109 hrs; that is a reduction of 32000 Megawatts. Then it started increasing. Frequency was maintained within a band of 49.7 to 50. 26 Hz, which means the voltage was kept stable,” he tweeted.
“The national grid operator POSOCO and the national, regional and state load despatch centres did a great job with support from all generators; NHPC, NEEPCO, THDC, SJVNL, BBMB, NTPC, all state gencos and IPPs, Transcos and Distribution companies and their officers and staff,” he said in another tweet.
The power minister also shared a pic of his family lighting diyas while he was away with his officers monitoring the grid at the National Power Monitoring Centre, during the event.
While I was away with my officers monitoring the grid at the National Power Monitoring Centre during #9pm9minutes my family members were all together lighting diyas of hope and positivity for all of us. (1/2)@narendramodi @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/0p8Ak3ULvl
— R. K. Singh (@RajKSinghIndia) April 5, 2020
The minister said that the drop in national demand (of electricity) by 32,000 megawatts showed a huge response of the nation to PM’s call.
“Demand in the grid came down by 32000 MW within a few minutes but the frequency and voltage was mantained within the normal range. The drop in national demand by 32000 megawatts shows a huge response of the nation to the call of the Prime Minister,” he said.
Demand in the grid came down by 32000 MW within a few minutes but the frequency and voltage was mantained within the normal range. The drop in national demand by 32000 megawatts shows a huge response of the nation to the call of the Prime Minister. (2/2)@narendramodi@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/yuxkdPXYBK
— R. K. Singh (@RajKSinghIndia) April 5, 2020
People across the country tonight switched off the lights in their homes, came out in balconies or in front of their doors, lighted lamps, candles at 9 pm and stood up in solidarity in the fight against coronavirus pandemic.
The Prime Minister also shared some pictures of him during the event, lighting lamps at his official residence in Delhi.
शुभं करोति कल्याणमारोग्यं धनसंपदा ।
शत्रुबुद्धिविनाशाय दीपज्योतिर्नमोऽस्तुते ॥ pic.twitter.com/4DeiMsCN11— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 5, 2020
