NEW DELHI: New Delhi’s iconic India Gate will go dark on Saturday night, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. IST, as part of Earth Hour 2026, a global environmental initiative encouraging people and institutions to switch off non‑essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change and environmental sustainability.
Earth Hour this year marks the 20th anniversary of the global movement, observed under the theme “Give an Hour for Earth, ” highlighting collective action for our planet.
Organised annually by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour began in 2007 as a symbolic “lights‑off” event in Sydney, Australia, and has since grown into one of the world’s greatest grassroots environmental efforts, uniting millions of people, businesses, and monuments in more than 190 countries and territories.
In anticipation of the event, city authorities across India have urged residents to switch off non‑essential lights and electrical appliances during the one‑hour observance. In Hyderabad, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) appealed to citizens to participate actively in Earth Hour 2026 by turning off unnecessary lighting from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, reinforcing the message of environmental stewardship.