From our Correspondent
Guwahati, April 5
Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA), while requesting everyone in India to observe ‘light off & diya on’ moments this evening at nine for nine minutes as appealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show solidarity for the ongoing fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic, quashes the ill-motive apprehension that it would create electricity grid problems due to simultaneous switching on & off of home lights across the country.
The forum of nationalists, including some qualified engineers, argues that we should repose trusts on the available technology and capacity of the engineering fraternity of India. They have categorically stated that it was a misplaced apprehension of damaging home appliances once the fluctuation of voltages in grid takes place because of the program.
The robust Indian electricity grid continues to be stable as adequate arrangements are being made to deal with the variation in demands in a particular period across India. The estimated power demand on Sunday will be 115 to 125 giga watt (1 GW = 1,000,000,000 W), where the load of household lights (apparently consumed by LED bulbs) would be around 10 to 15 GW, which is manageable with hydro, coal & gas based electricity resources, said the forum.
PM’s call means only the home lights, but not other lighting equipments in the streets, hospitals, police stations, public utilities, factories etc. Moreover, other household appliances like computers, televisions, refrigerators, fans, air conditioners etc. would function normally during the period, stated the forum adding that after all it is not the first time when India will go for a blackout as we experienced Earth Hour in 2011 and also a grid failure in 2012.