Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Saturday expressed concern over the switching off of all lights on Sunday saying it could unsettle the grid balance. It has worked out an alternate plan to deal with it.

It was on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came out with the message that on April 5 at 9 pm for nine minutes, banish the darkness by lighting lamps while observing social distancing.

The KSEB feels that if all the lights are switched off it could unsettle the grid and create problems which might take a few days to be resolved.

The KSEB officials will switch on generators to control the load in the grid just before 9 pm and switch them off a minute or two after 9.10 pm.

The normal frequency of the power grid is 49.95 – 50.05 Hertz. Any sudden rise or drop in power could alter this frequency and could damage the grid. The lockdown has caused a huge drop in power consumption as most of the factories are not working.

Speaking to mathrubhumi.com, a representative of the KSEB said that switching off of electric lights is unlikely to cause major problems. Even if lights are switched off, other electrical equipment such as refrigerators, air conditioners, fans etc will not be switched off.

Moreover, hospitals, emergency services and other establishments will continue to function normally, the representative added.

The state load dispatch is taking precautions to counter any possible problems in this regard. Switching off of lights could reduce the power demand on the grid by 350-400 megawatts. At this time, the KSEB will turn off two or three feeders. Minutes later, these feeders will be turned on.

(With inputs form IANS)