PM Modi's 9 pm, 9 minute appeal | Here's what will happen

Four weeks after the sounds of bells, conches and claps reverberated across the country, now the nation is all geared up to support the clarion call by PM Modi by lighting diyas and candles in show of "solidarity and confidence in our collective fight against" the novel coronavirus or Covid-19.

 

HIGHLIGHTS

• PM Modi has been reminding citizens about his "9 pm, 9 minute" appeal
• He asked ctizens to light candles in show of solidarity against Covid-19
• Don't use alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting candles: Govt

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Friday urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat the coronavirus. (Photo: PTI)

A 9-minute lights-out as called for PM Modi by most of the households on Sunday evening can potentially collapse the grid due to sudden drop and then a quick surge after the event.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on Friday urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 pm on Sunday to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat the coronavirus.

There have been concerns that the blackout may impact the electricity grid due sudden drop in peak power demand, which was already down 25 per cent at 125.81 GW on April 2 compared to a year ago.

But to manage the dramatic changes in electricity and its impact on the grid, the government has drawn an elaborate plan.

The Power Ministry has even compiled a list of FAQs so you can show solidarity in the fight against coronavirus without any hesitation.

Question 1: Are only domestic lights to be switched off or are street lights, common area lighting, essential services etc lights also to be switched off between 9 - 9:09 pm?

Only domestic home lights in the houses have to be put off voluntarily as appealed by our Hon'ble PM. It is again reiterated that no street lights, common area places, hospitals and other essential services have to switch off their lights.

Question 2: Are my domestic appliances safe during the said switching-off of houselights?

All your domestic appliances will be safe. There is no need to switch off fans, ACs, fridges etc. Indian Electricity Grid is well designed to handle such kind of load variation and has several inbuilt levels of control and safety mechanisms to absorb any kind of frequency changes occurring due to such load variation. Thus, all the domestic appliances will be totally safe and hence should be kept in a normal functioning mode as per the requirements.

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Question 3: Will there be adequate arrangements and protocols are in place to handle grid stability during the light-out event on April 5 at 9:00 PM to 9.09 pm?

Yes, all adequate arrangements and standard operating protocols are in place to maintain grid stability.

Question 4: Is it compulsory or voluntary to switch off lights?
Voluntary. As already said only domestic houselights have to be switched off.

Question 5: Some apprehensions have been expressed that this may cause instability in the grid and fluctuation in voltage which may harm the electrical appliances.

These apprehensions are totally misplaced. These are a normal phenomenon and the Indian Electricity Grid is well designed to handle such load variation and frequency changes as per standard operating protocols.

Question 6: Will our grid management and technology withstand the fluctuation that the light-out may cause?

The Indian electricity grid is robust and stable and employs state-of-art technology. It has in place necessary control and protective elements capable of handling such kind of fluctuations in demand at any instant of time.

Question 7: Will appliances like fan, refrigerators, ACs etc should be switched off or kept in the on mode?

All your domestic appliances will be safe. These appliances should be operated normally as per requirements by the consumers. No need at all to especially switch off at 9 pm.

Question 8: Will streetlights be switched off?
No. In fact, all States/UTs/ Local bodies have been advised to keep the street lights on for public safety.

Questions 9: Will hospitals or other emergency and important installations face light out?

No, the lights in Hospitals and all other essential services like Public Utilities, Municipal Services, Offices, Police Stations, Manufacturing Facilities, etc will remain on. The call given by Hon'ble PM is to just switch off lights in residences.

Question 10: The load of home-lightings alone is around 20% of the total load. Would a sudden disconnection of 20% load not destabilise the grid? What measures will the Ministry take?

Domestic lighting load is much less than 20 per cent. Such kind of reduction in demand can be easily managed for which standard technical operating protocols are in place.

Question 11: Will there be load shedding? If yes what will be the impact?
No load shedding is planned.

 

In his morning address to the country on April 3, PM Modi had asked Indians, currently under lockdown, to switch off all lights at home at 9 pm Sunday (April 5) and light candles or diyas -- or use the flashlights on their mobile phones -- to mark the national fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

"At that time, if you have turned off all the lights of your homes, and each one of us in all directions has lit a diya, we will experience the superpower of light, clearly illuminating the common purpose we are all fighting for," PM Modi had urging people said.

However, the symbolism related to PM Modi's appeal took a turn when speculation over its effect on power grid and voltage across the country surfaced subsequently.

Here's how power system will be managed

PM Modi's "light a candle" appeal had sent senior power officials in a tizzy as they fear a possible grid collapse and resultant blackout throughout the country.

A 9-minute lights-out by most of households on Sunday evening can potentially collapse the grid due to sudden drop and then a quick surge after the event, PTI had reported.

But to manage the dramatic changes in electricity and its impact on the grid, the government has drawn an elaborate plan to manage it. Following are the Two-step broad plan of action.

1. Electrical appliances such as AC, fans, TVs, refrigerators are not supposed to be switched off and only household lights are to be switched off from 9 pm to 9.09 pm on Sunday.

2. Lights in all essential services, including hospitals, police stations and manufacturing facilities as well as street lights are not to be switched off.

Opposition leaders slam PM Modi's address

After his appeal to the nation via a video message, PM Modi also drew flak from the Opposition who asked him to focus on real issues and plan policies to contain the Covid-19 impact on the nation and its economy.

Senior Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor said PM Modi's speech offered no vision for the future on how to ease people's pain and financial anxieties. "Listened to the Pradhan Showman. Nothing about how to ease people's pain, their burdens, their financial anxieties," he had said.

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra also shared a similar tone in her comment on PM's speech urging him "to get real".

Moreover, Congress leader P Chidambaram, who has been vocal about his criticism for the BJP-led government, requested PM Modi to listen to experts like epidemiologists and economists.

"What we expected from you today was FAP II, a generous livelihood support package for the poor, including for those categories of poor who were totally ignored by Nirmala Sitharaman on 25-3-2020," he said," Chidambaram had further said.

"Don't use alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting candles"

In view of the PM Modi's call, the health ministry has cautioned people against the use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers before lighting candles or diyas as they are inflammable.

During the daily briefing on the Covid-19 situation in India, the Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG-PI) had said: "On 5 April 20, let us be careful while lighting diyas or candles. Use soaps to wash your hands and not alcohol-based sanitisers prior to lighting. Together we will fight Covid-19."

PM Modi's "taali/thaali" appeal to appreciates corona-warriors

In an attempt to appreciate the doctors, nurses and every other person who is helping the country fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, the nation, four weeks earlier, went to their balconies and clapped and cheered in show of support the corona-warriors.

On March 22, the air reverberated with a medley of sounds as people across the country rang bells, blew conches and clapped to express appreciation for medical and other staff who are on the frontline of the battle against the novel coronavirus.

Many took positions with their choice of instruments, including metal plates or whatever kitchen utensils they could get, while some played the sounds of conches and bells on their phones and music systems. Police sirens were also heard at India Gate and in other parts of the national capital.