TN expects upto 1,000 MW drop due to PM's '9 pm, 9 minutes' call

Tamil Nadu's power managers expect a drop of upto 1,000 Megawatt tonight in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to people to turn off lights and instead light lamps, candles or mobile phone torches for nine minutes at 9 PM on Sunday. Arrangements were on to cut down power generation in tune with the expected drop in demand tonight, Tamil Nadu Generation and Distrution Corporation sources said, adding the present electricity demand of approximately 10,000 MW was likely to go down to about 9,000 MW.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the people to show the nation's collective resolve to fight coronavirus by switching off lights for nine minutes starting at 9 pm on Sunday and instead light lamps, candles or shine light using mobile phone torches. Electricity consumption during March-April is usually always on the upswing, with demand hovering around 15,000 MW during the past couple of years.

As electricity consumption has already dropped significantly in view of the lockdown, the expected additional slash in demand has got the power managers to take appropriate measures to maintain normalcy in terms of power generation, distribution and maintenance. Substation heads are among the officials tasked with monitoring the situation and take appropriate steps, they said.

After the nine minutes exercise, power generation and supply will be stepped up gradually in sync with expected rise in demand. Electricity Minister P Thangamani told reporters here that people may switch off only lights and not other electrical appliances and assured that all arrangements are in place to ensure normalcy with regard to the electricity infrastructure in Tamil Nadu in view of the Prime Minister's call to the people.

"Officials and all personnel are on standby tohandle the situation," he said. The Minister said people need not have any apprehensions about the possibility of voltage fluctuations in view of the expected drop in electricity usage.

Local authorities said all arrangements were in place to ensure that street lights and lighting in other key installations continued..

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