Power Failure or System Failure

The world’s biggest blackout affecting one-tenth of the global population & India is the great country making this record. On 31^st July 2012, the northern, eastern & north eastern regions were doomed to darkness with successive grid failure. 684 million people in 21 states & union territories were affected. The power collapse disrupted normal life, rail & air services, schools, colleges, business, hospitals as well as industrial production in various sectors.

Why more than half of India population was plunged powerless? Who is to be blamed? The problems are familiar, higher losses due to petty power theft, inability of firms to pass on the burden of higher coal & gas prices & failure of the government to clear the subsidy. As per the planning commission, the state regulators often succumb to political pressures on the issue of tariff adjustments.  Sushil Kumar Shinde was taken out of the power ministry; he managed to emerge out of the darkness India has plunged into to land in the home ministry. What’s going on? For two days in a row, Monday & Tuesday, the grid has collapsed & India is in the midst of clueless power crisis & Shinde is rewarded with a promotion. Bringing a new minister in charge of the power ministry will hardly make a difference at this point & it only indicates an escape for the government.  The Electricity Act has to be implemented properly & firmly by the government.

A unit saved is one unit generated. Save now or else there will be nothing to save in future.

Here are some tips to save electricity-

• Whenever you move out of a room do switch off lights and all the machines as well eg. TV, computer, video games etc. In case you’re going out of town unplug these very machines for they have stand-by functions which consume electricity even when turned off. If you turn off your monitor for a minute, a bulb can be lit in some remote part of India for about 2 minutes. 

• Use the washing machine only when you have a full load of clothes and not just 2-3 clothes,  that would be a sure waste of power.
• Open shades instead of turning on lights.

• Close the doors and windows when air conditioning is on and put off the AC half an hour before you leave the room.

• If possible try shading your AC unit, if under bright sun it can use upto 5% more energy.

• Always better to use fluorescent light bulbs as they use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs.

• Decide what you need from the fridge before opening it so that you don’t needlessly waste electricity standing with the door open while you look inside.

Let’s make individual contribution before expecting any major change.

Jai Hind!