Honorable Prime Minister made an appeal on National Television to the people to voluntarily switch off their lights on April 5, 2020 at 9:00 pm till 9:09 pm and light candles, diyas and torches from their balconies or doors but not to step out from their homes.
The National Load Despatch Center has worked the procedure for grid balancing during the period and the same shall be communicated to the Regional and State Load Despatch Center respectively.
The order dated April 4, 2020 made it clear that there will be no call to switch off either streetlights, or appliances like TV, Refrigerator or ACs at Home.
Adequate protocols and arrangements are in place to handle the variation in demand. People are advised not to be worried and continue running all the appliances at home. Local bodies are advised to keep the streetlights on to avoid any law and order problems.
The lights at hospitals and other essential services will also remain on.
The order was issued Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Secretary of Government of India, Ministry of Power.
In his video message PM Modi said- “On April 5 Sunday at 9 PM, I need your 9 minutes. Listen carefully, on April 5 at 9 PM Sunday, please shut all lights in your homes and stand at your house door or balconies by lighting up candles, diyas or mobile flashlights.
When the lights will be shut and when everyone will light up diyas and candles, in that light we should take an oath and say that we are not alone. We are not alone. No one is alone. 130 crore Indians are together in this fight.
Friends, I have one more request. During this exercise, nobody should crowd at any place. Roads, streets or mohallas, no one should go in a crowd. We should do this exercise only by standing at our doors and balconies. Social distancing norms should be followed and no one should flout the norms in any situation. This is the only way to break the chain of Coronavirus.
So, this Sunday on April 5, sit alone thinking about Mother India and picture the faces of 130 crore Indians. Experience the unity and strength of the 130 crore Indians. This will give us the strength to fight against these tough times and the confidence to win.
In India it is said, there is no force bigger than our enthusiasm and spirit. There is nothing in this world that we can’t achieve with this strength.
Let’s come together and defeat the menace of Corona.”
