To encourage people to switch off non-essential lights for an hour and raise awareness about major environmental issues, Earth Hour was observed globally, including in India, on Saturday (March 22).
As part of the observance, the iconic India Gate and Qutub Minar in Delhi were illuminated with darkness to conserve energy.
While observing the Earth Hour, the iconic India Gate and Qutub Minar in Delhi were turned off to conserve energy.
Similarly, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) marked Earth Hour at the Napier Museum by lighting candles in the shape of the number ‘60,’ symbolising the 60 minutes of the hour.
In Hyderabad, Telangana, Earth Hour was observed by turning off the lights at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also participated by switching off lights at his residence in Jaipur.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also participated by switching off lights at his residence in Jaipur.
Renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik shared an image of his sand art on X, symbolising ‘Earth Hour,’ with the caption: “Earth Hour – an hour dedicated to Mother Earth. Let’s switch off all non-essential lights from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM today and be a part of this global movement. My sand art at Puri beach in Odisha.”
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma observed Earth Hour alongside BJP workers by switching off the lights and lighting a candle. In a post on X, he wrote: “On Earth Hour, my fellow Karyakartas and I stood in solidarity to rededicate ourselves to a greener and cleaner planet. From the darkness, let us build a brighter future for everyone, everywhere.”
A video shared by news agency PTI on X showed the lights at the iconic Victoria Memorial in Kolkata being switched back on after the observance.
Delhi saves 269 MW of electricity, up from 206 MW last year
Ahead of the event, Bombay Suburban Electric Supply Limited (BSES) had appealed to its consumers to participate in Earth Hour. In a statement, BSES urged its over 50 lakh consumers and 2 crore residents in Delhi to switch off electricity from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Saturday, PTI reported.
As a result, 159 MW of electricity was conserved in the BSES area, while Delhi as a whole saved 269 MW. Comparatively, the city had saved 206 MW during last year’s Earth Hour, according to BSES statement cited by ANI.
Earth Hour, initiated by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007, encourages individuals and organisations to dedicate an hour to the planet by switching off non-essential electric lights from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM IST, symbolising their commitment to environmental conservation.
This year, WWF-India is observing Earth Hour 2025 alongside UN World Water Day to highlight the importance of collective efforts in protecting the planet and conserving vital water resources.