ICC World T-20: Here's reason to watch India-Pakistan match in the dark

India versus Pakistan matches have continuously seen sold-out arenas and a steep hike in television ratings. After losing the first ICC World T20 Super 10 clash against New Zealand at Nagpur by 47 runs, Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Team India will have to win all their upcoming matches, including the one against their arch rivals.

However, fans at home might not get to see the action for about an hour.

Earth Hour, which is observed by switching off lights for an hour between 8.30 pm-9.30 pm, falls on Saturday -- the same day of the crucial match at Eden Gardens.

The T20 encounter starts at 7.30 pm and fans may get to miss out on heart-thumping action. Bollywood celebrities too are urging people to observe Earth Hour by watching the match together on a single screen with friends, families and the neighbourhood.

B-Town megastar Amitabh Bachchan tweeted: “Support #EarthHour2016, watch #IndVSPak with friends on one screen, join campaign Together vsClimateChange.”

T 2176 - Support #EarthHour2016, watch #IndVSPak with friends on one screen, join campaign #TogethervsClimateChange https://t.co/dd0AbCOZXa

— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) March 16, 2016

It's Earth Hour Day on March 19. What started as a token switching off of all lights in Sydney, Australia, for one day in 2007 has now spread across the world. Last year, 172 nations participated in the lights-off movement. This year, those participating in this event will turn off their lights between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm on Saturday.

Cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, who has thrown his weight behind Earth Hour, said, "Like cricket, Earth Hour brings people together. I urge people to come together and find newer, smarter ways to help save the planet." He urged fans to turn off non-essential lights and watch the India-Pakistan T20 ICC World Cup match of March 19 in the dark.

On December 12 last year, 195 nations signed a new international agreement towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient world at the Paris Climate Conference. The Earth Hour movement was born a decade earlier, out of the need for raising awareness about climate change.

This year, the focus of the campaign in India is to harness more fully the potential of solar energy. India, according to WWF, has at least 300 clear sunny days each year; it has potential to generate 5,000 trillion kWh of energy per year from solar energy - that is more that the country's total annual energy requirement.

Lights will go off at the India Gate, Gateway of India, Rashtrapati Bhawan and Lotus Temple too on Earth Hour.

Speaking of Jaipur's participation in Earth Hour, Gerda Unnithan, the force behind the city's sparrow conservation effort, said, "Unfortunately, not many people know of Earth Hour in Jaipur. I must confess that I too have only observed it once in the past 10 years. But it is an initiative worth supporting, one that more and more people should learn about."


source:timesofindia and deccan chronical

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