May 16, 2007

life in general: criminal wastage of electricity by big consumers

Bombay gets electricity continuously 24 hours a day even during summer times except for some residential pockets in the suburbs. Power which would otherwise gone to non-Bombay areas of Maharashtra is diverted to Bombay to ensure this continuous supply as a result of which those areas encounter 5-15 hours power blackouts every day.
Bombay consumers, particularly the largest consumers which include shopping malls, movie theatres, hotels, corporate offices, ought to get into their heads that they should conserve the precious electricity that is bestowed upon Bombay. But the ground reality is ugly. Most of these big consumers disregard the importance of conservation.
For instance, yesterday, I had gone to attend a conference at ITC Grand Central Hotel at Parel (10 kms north of the southernmost tip of Bombay) and I noticed some sheer criminal wastage of electricity.
It was just 6 pm, and since its summertime in Bombay now there is very good daylight till 7.30 pm, and yet the hotel lobby whose windows are near the open space outside, was lit by a large number of bulbs. I clicked a photo of the lit lobby from my camera phone. In the photo, notice the lit chandeliers with 5-6 bulbs in each plus embedded bulbs on the roof and at the far end of the photo as well as on the right side of the photo you see bright light coming in from the windows from the natural sun-lit day outside. I think the hotel must be keeping these lights on throughout the daytime too.
There was worse. In the toilet I saw two TV screens next to each other above the urinals. These were on and playing a business channel. Now, what's more important? A Bombay hotel visitor watching news when he urinates? Or a non-Bombay consumer having electricity to switch on light in his toilet during night? The Maharashtra state government bodies and the Bombay Municipal Corporation which directly or indirectly regulate these hotels and other big power consumers turn a blind eye to such criminal wastage of electricity. Its disgraceful.
This part was added on 12 Oct 2008:


Two months back, on 12 August 2008, I came across another example of mindless use of electricity. See the pic alongside. I clicked it in the men's toilet of PVR movie theatre at Oberoi Mall in Goregaon East. There are three TV screens (the ones showing orange-coloured visuals) visible here but there were 3-4 more.

5 comments:

reva yunus said...

hi, i am in the comm- deep ecology. i completely agree with ur idea- unless on individual and comm levels we don't realise the significance of doing away with wasteful practices we'll never have enough for all of us to use for our most basic needs.
if u can manage we can interact mroe thru the comm as i am a student social worker adn def interested in these things.
:-)
r.

reva yunus said...

one more thing- unless we stop wasting, we'll be multiplying the disaster we've wrought on nature. we, being jus a part and a small part at that, of nature, have no right to destroy the home of so many life forms.

Rajesh Gajra said...

hi reva... yes, i had linked this post in the 'deep ecology' community on orkut... you are right, all citizens of all countries should aim to use/consume resources (that ultimately come from our mother earth) in a moderate manner... that way, we don't end up denying other people in the world and in our country the their due share of our mother earth's bounty... it gladdens me to see that youngsters like you are also able to realise what's going on with the sheer wastage in our consumeristic-obsessed society... it gives hope... bright regards, rajesh

reva yunus said...

hi rajesh- i've a theory- i've been toying with it for sometime regarding conservation and shared use of resources.
how old are you? sorry if i sound rude but u said 'youngsters like you' so i wondered- coz i didn't dare discuss it wid sm'un frm my gen- wont giv it a chance. would u mind if i discussed it with u?

Rajesh Gajra said...

hi reva, i would love to hear what you have in mind on this issue. i am 37 years of age (i never find it rude to be asked). i look forward to your sharing of your theory/idea. later, we can also cut-and-paste this discussion to the 'deep ecology' community on orkut. take care. - rajesh