Switch off lights, not electrical gadgets: Top power official

BENGALURU: There is no need to panic regarding any major power disruption due to the Prime Minister’s call to switch off domestic lights for nine minutes at 9pm on April 5, Mahendra Jain, additional chief secretary, energy, told The New Indian Express.

He said that the maximum reduction on load in Karnataka is expected to be around 15 to 20 per cent, because only domestic lights will be switched off. “The load reduction may not be drastic to cause any major peak load variation. Still, I have advised the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) in our state to manage peak load, keeping this in mind,” Jain added.