Don’t switch off all lights: PSPCL ahead of blackout

Tribune news service
Patiala, April 4

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has issued an advisory to people to not switch off all lights at 9 pm on Sunday, as appealed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has given a call for a nine-minute blackout across the country to dispel darkness spread by Covid.

Though Punjab will not be affected from the sudden drop and equally sudden rise in demand, the PSPCL recommends residents of the state to keep electrical appliances switched on.

The power utility claims that the load reduction will not be much.

The PSPCL’s advice is in line with a similar advisory issued by the Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO), which claims that there would be a total domestic load reduction of 13,000 MW across the country.

VK Gupta, a spokesperson for the All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), said the federation wrote to Prime Minister Modi and the Union Ministry of Power, raising concerns arising out of sudden switching off lights.

Subsequently, meetings in all states took place to devise a strategy to prevent a possible grid collapse on Sunday night. “The POSOCO on Saturday issued an advisory for reliable and secure system operation on April 5 for nine minutes,” Gupta said.

Baldev Singh Sran, PSPCL CMD, said: “Because of the lockdown, the load of Punjab will only be 2,800 to 2,900 MW at 9 pm. It is expected to decrease by 400 MW or so at 9 pm. It is not a major drop. At present, only hydel plants are running in Punjab and their response is faster than thermal plants. The PSPCL has sufficient sources to handle the sudden dip and equally sudden rise in demand through Ranjit Sagar dam and other hydel plants.”

A senior PSPCL officer said, “Power engineers are always prepared to perform under difficult situations. They are working round the clock to provide uninterrupted supply.”