The official broadcasting agency of the government is warning citizens to refrain from using alcohol-based hand sanitisers on Sunday, April 5 while lighting candles or diyas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the country’s citizens to turn off the lights in their homes for nine minutes at 9 pm and light lamps to support the fight against coronavirus.

Public broadcasting agency Prasar Bharati on Saturday advised citizens not to use alcohol-based sanitisers during that time as they are inflammable.

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers (ABHS) have been widely recommended for use by experts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. However, the sanitisers are flammable since they include ethyl alcohol. “ABHS contains ethyl alcohol, which readily evaporates at room temperature into an ignitable vapor and is considered a flammable liquid,” according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health experts recommend using hand sanitiser that has at least 60 percent alcohol for it to be effective against COVID-19.

But due to the high quantities of sanitisers being used, Prasar Bharati has asked Indians to be cautious of its application during the candle lighting on Sunday night.

The Prime Minister on Friday asked people to turn off their lights and switch on their cell phone lights or light lamps at the doors or balconies of their homes on Sunday, April 5 to show strength and solidarity against the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected over a million around the world.

Electricity management authorities are also determining how best to handle the sudden dip and surge in power demand when people switch their lights off at 9 pm and turn them on again nine minutes later.

Read also: PM's 9-min 'switch off-switch on' plan: Officials on alert to manage power load

India currently has over 3,000 positive cases of coronavirus and 85 deaths from the disease.