The power grid in India will be shut down for a solar eclipse on Saturday, a spokesman for the country’s power regulator has said.
The grid in southern India will also be shut off for a second time on Saturday.
Power supply in the country has been disrupted by a power disruption caused by the solar eclipse, which has been forecast to happen in northern India at 4:30 pm local time (09:30 GMT) on Saturday (21 March).
India’s energy regulator has issued a circular saying that power plants, which are dependent on power generators for electricity, will be switched off.
Power generators in India are currently not in operation.
India’s National Energy Corporation has issued guidelines to power companies on how to respond to the solar-penetrating waves, which will leave power grids vulnerable to solar-powered attacks.
Power sector companies have so far not implemented the recommendations.
The National Electricity Corporation (NEPC) said the government has advised them to implement the advice.
In an advisory issued on Thursday, NEPC said it will be ready to provide power generation and transmission systems to the affected power supply stations in the event of disruption.
The regulator has also advised that emergency measures be taken to provide uninterrupted supply of power to the grid.
The NEPC has advised the government to take steps to ensure uninterrupted supply to the power supply sector, including by restricting power supply in a certain geographical area, as there are many transmission lines and generators that can be affected by the eclipse.