Mangaluru: After Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the country to switch off their lights and light diyas, candles, torches and mobile flashlights, reports had surfaced that the power grid would face an unprecedented problem if all lights were switched off at once.
Load despatch centres across the country were also reportedly told to be at a high level of preparedness to counter any threat to the power grid following a sudden drop in demand when the country switches off electricity at their homes.
However, an official had said that considering that the peak demand for electricity in the country is already lower by about 20 per cent, due to the lockdown, a further drop on April 5, should not be a problem.
Experts also suggested that a problem would not arise if only the lights are switched off and urged the people not to switch off the mains and other appliances.
Now, the MESCOM has requested all its customers to switch off only the lights and keep all the other electrical equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, coolers, fans etc. on.
In a press release, the MESCOM stated that if all the power were to be shut off, it would lead to a grid collapse. Hence, customers have been asked to switch off only the lights and all other establishments and installations should continue to operate as usual. Street lights should also be left on everywhere in the urban, as well as rural areas.
Meanwhile, lighting and other appliances in the hospitals, municipal services, police offices, essential services, and even in commercial establishments should, and need not be switched off.
