No possibility of grid collapse, don’t switch off fridge, TV: Power ministry

NEWDELHI:The Union ministry of power on Saturday clarified that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for switching off lights on Sunday would not cause instability to the power grid amid concerns over a possible grid-collapse.

“Some apprehensions have been expressed that this may cause instability in the grid and fluctuation in voltage which may harm electrical appliances. These apprehensions are misplaced. The Indian electricity grid is robust and stable and adequate arrangements and protocols are in place to handle the variation in demand,” the power ministry said in a statement.

“The appeal of the Hon Prime Minister is to simply switch off the lights in their homes from 9 pm to 9.09 pm on the 5th of April. There is no call to switch off either streetlights or appliances like Computers, TVs, Fans, Refrigerators and ACs in the homes. Only lights should be switched off,” it added.

The power grid has seen a 30% drop in demand due to the absence of commercial activity in the wake of the nationwide lockdown, and there were fears that the Prime Minister’s call could encourage people to switch off everything, reducing demand even more.

The essence of grid management is load balancing over time (in this case, 15-minute intervals), and a drop in demand could have resulted in a sudden change in grid frequency, leading to a potential blackout. According to power ministry data available for April 2, peak demand stood at 125.8 GW, which is 25% lower than 168.3 GW for the same day last year.

“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,” Jairam Ramesh, senior Congress leader, said in a tweet.