By Onkareshwar Pandey

NEW DELHI, April 5, 2020: The world witnessed unprecedented solidarity across India to defeat the menace of COVID-19 when the countrymen switched off the lights of their homes at 9-PM for 9-Min tonight and lightened diyas, candles, torches or mobile flashlights on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal.

The '9 pm, 9-min' lights-out event on Sunday evening went off well, as People turned off the lights of their houses and lighted earthen lamps, to defeat the coronavirus in the country.

Following PM Modi's appeal, people across the country came out at balconies and doorsteps of their houses to do the exercise for nine minutes. The illumination reflected the country's collective resolve to fight Coronavirus.

In the national capital huge enthusiasm was seen in the lighting exercise as it was not less than a Diwali like celebration where people experienced the superpower of light, clearly illuminating the common purpose we fighting for.

President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the fellow citizens by lighting candles and Diyas.

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Prakash Javadekar, Piyush Goyal and others also turned off all the lights of their residences and joined the exercise. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, BJP President JP Nadda and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and Senior BJP leader LK Advani also lightened earthen lamps.

There was no report of any disruption in the electricity grid after the government and utilities put in place elaborate plans to deal with the sudden drop and then a quick spurt in demand.

The power supply ramp down and ramp up - they (officials) handled very smoothly, and I along with my senior officials - power secretary, POSCO CMD - was personally monitoring the situation from National Monitoring Centre in the ministry. I congratulate all the engineers of NLDC, RLDC and SLDCs for handling the situation very efficiently especially in huge response to the Prime Minister's call", Power Minister R K Singh told PTI.

This comes days after the people had come out in their balconies and clapped and clanged utensils to express their gratitude to medical professionals -- who are at the forefront of the country's fight against coronavirus.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged people to switch off the lights at their homes and light up lamps, 'diyas', candles or mobile phone torches at '9 pm for 9 minutes' for nine minutes on Sunday to display the country's "collective resolve" to defeat coronavirus, which has claimed 83 lives in the country so far.

In Chennai, people formed the map of India by lighting earthen lamps, while in Lucknow, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lit earthen lamps to form an 'Om' at his residence. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao lit up a candle. Several Union Ministers and other politicians too participated in the exercise.

In West Bengal, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar turned off all the lights of his residence and lit earthen lamps.

The number of positive cases of coronavirus in the country continues to surge. As per the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is 3,577 with 83 deaths. (With inputs from ANI)