PM Modi's '9 pm, 9 minutes' costs power consumption in Puducherry to go down by 53 MW on April 5

Till 9 p.m the power consumption was 203 MW, which went down to 150 MW, Shanmugham, Superintending Engineer II, of Electricity Department 'said.

Residents of Kochi lighting lamps at 9pm in show of solidarity and confidence in our collective fight against the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 on Sunday. (Photo | Arun Angela, EPS)

PUDUCHERRY: The power consumption in  the Union territory of Puducherry got reduced by 53 MWs  on Sunday night when people switched off their electric lights at 9 p.m for nine minutes  in response to the appeal made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a show of unity in combating COVD-19 .

Till 9 p.m the power consumption was 203 MW, which went down to 150 MW, Shanmugham, Superintending Engineer II, of Electricity Department 'said.  

Senior officials of the department were in the control room monitoring the drop in consumption.  After the steep drop of 53 MW it came back  to normal at around 9.30 p.m, he said.

The Union territory has a daily consumption of around  400 to 450MW.

But with no industrial activity as well as business establishments remaining closed , the power consumption has come down to around  200 MW, he said.