VIJAYAWADA: The joint managing director of the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (TRANSCO), KVN Chakradhar Babu, has been entrusted with the responsibility of monitoring the grid safety and security on Sunday as there could be sharp load reduction when lights would be turned off for nine minutes at 9 pm following the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The state load despatch centre and TRANSCO have already issued necessary precautionary guidelines to all the substations and generating plants.
On Saturday, Energy Secretary Nagulapalli Srikant held a review on the same and asked the JMD to personally monitor the proceedings, according to a statement from the energy department. Earlier in the day, the secretary participated in a review meeting held by Union power secretary Sanjiv Nandan Sahai regarding the preparedness for the initiative.
The Union secretary clarified that the call of the PM was only for switching off domestic lights and all other installations would continue to operate as usual. He also informed all the state secretaries that the streetlights should be kept on in all rural and urban areas. He also said that hospitals, municipal services, police and other essential services’ establishments should not switch off the lights. “All consumers and people at large should be advised about the above to ensure there is no panic. Under no circumstances should any feeders at apartments, societies and others be switched off in over-enthusiasm,” the Union secretary said.