PM's appeal to switch off lights on Sunday could impact grid stability: Jairam Ramesh

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Saturday expressed concern over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for switching off lights for nine minutes on Sunday night, saying it could deeply impact the power grid stability.

The former union minister hoped that the government is managing the grid well for the lighting call.

"As somebody who has been associated with the power sector for almost three decades including as minister, the call to go dark for 9 min at 9 pm on the 5th can have deep impact on the grid and its stability. I sincerely hope this is being properly managed," Ramesh said on Twitter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also raised similar concerns. He said the prime minister should have thought about this while making the call.

"An unprecedented drop in electricity demand at 9 pm Sunday and an immediate surge at 9.09 pm could cause the electrical grid to crash. So Electricity Boards are contemplating load shedding from 8 pm and staggered return to normal after 9.09pm. One more thing the PM didn't think about," Tharoor tweeted.

Several experts have raised concerns over the sudden drop and then surge of power.

When asked to comment, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said "this is a common concern" as many experts in the field too feel the same and the issue should not be politicised.

"I hope necessary provisions will be made in this regard. Let us not politicise the matter," she said.