Lights out! Earth Hour back in Delhi

New Delhi, March 10 (IANS) The national capital will observe the Earth Hour once again this year and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Wednesday appealed to residents to turn off lights for an hour on March 27.

"Delhi was the lead city for Earth Hour 2009 when India joined this global campaign.  Several historical buildings, office complexes, RWAs, shopping centers and hotels switched off in support, resulting in close to 750 MW power saving in Delhi alone," Dikshit said at the launch of the campaign here.

"I hope that Delhi along with other cities across the country will take Earth Hour to newer heights by generating larger savings and sending a strong message to stress the  need to shift to a sustainable and low carbon development path," she added.

The chief minister quipped that Delhiites would be "willing to have a candle light dinner March 27."

Bollywood star Abhishek Bachchan who is the brand ambassador of this World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) initiative also enthused Delhi to 'act responsibly'.

"As responsible citizens of this planet, it is extremely crucial for us to address the colossal problem of climate change through ensuring responsible action and adopting a sustainable way of life... It is time that we take a collective pledge to 'switch on' our minds and take one simple step to switch off the lights March 27 from 8.30 to 9:30 p.m.," Bachchan told reporters.

WWF India's chief executive officer Ravi Singh said that Earth Hour 2009 was "the largest climate action in history" and this year the campaign will be joined by 92 countries and 878 cities.

"It was heartening to receive tremendous support for the campaign from all sections of the society all across India. It symbolizes the aspirations and willingness of our citizens to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. We hope the campaign this year will cross greater boundaries and inspire several more citizens to take decisive and collective action towards protecting our environment," Singh said.