3MW Power Saved In City
2 Apr 2009, Rajan Walia, TNN

CHANDIGARH: Some thought it was a ritual of no great consequence, a formality to eclipse our guilt of not having been able to do enough to save our
environment. But the pictures of contrast illuminated burning cities and then silent, calm reflection of the same flashed across the world in newspapers and television channels have once again made a lasting impact. The Earth Hour-2009, an awareness campaign against global warming, was a greater success this year, even in small cities like Chandigarh.

Figures from the UT electricity department reveal that compared to last year’s power saving of 1MW during the one-hour switch-off, this year’s power saving has been recorded at 3MW. Thus, approximately 2% fall in electricity consumption was observed between 8.30 to 9.30 pm last Saturday.

Visibly elated over the development, Brahmesh Alipuria of Environment Saviours, an NGO, said, “The event was a success in the city, though it didn’t reach the expectations of saving 5MW power. Last year’s effort cannot be ignored as it laid the foundation, but this time the movement gathered momentum.”

While last year, the city’s participation was restricted to few youths standing up to the cause, this time lights were seen switched off completely in several localities. Alipuria said the biggest support they got this year was from WWF India, which provided them not only moral support but also resources that simplified the task of promoting the event. “The preparations for the event began early this year and the programme was in place in advance. We were aware of the problems associated with it last year and therefore were careful,” said Divya Soni, another member of the organization.

Recalling the stressful days of campaigning, Abhilasha Bhasin, another volunteer, said, “Pamphlets were distributed in schools and markets creating awareness among people. The event was also aggressively promoted on the internet. E-mails promoting the event and asking recipients to participate in Earth Hour were forwarded to thousands of people. Social networking sites were used to create awareness among people, asking them to actively participate in the event,” he said.

However, young environmentalists from University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET), Panjab University, who spearheaded the campaign this year, are not prepared to sit back as yet. As they say, “It would be wrong to say the job is done. The work has just started. We hope to raise greater awareness among people next year with greater support and success.”