MM : Ganpati powers a good idea at mulund : Sept 25, 2007
GANPATI POWERS A GOOD IDEA AT MULUND
1200 families at a Mulund colony volunteer for 1-hr power cut every day to
make good the extra energy being consumed by Ganpati pandals across the city
1,200 families of a MHADA colony in Mulund (East) are showing the rest of us
the way to celebrate festivals. The colony that has power saving as the
theme for its Ganpati pandal has gone one step forward by practising what it
preaches. All 1,200 families have chosen to go without power for one hour
between 10 and 11 am every day to make good the extra power being consumed
by Ganpati pandals across the city.
By voluntarily adopting load shedding for an hour, the residents end up
saving 600 units of electricity each day. “It started with all the members
of the mandal working on the theme for the year. We reached a consensus that
since load shedding was the one problem that troubled us through the year
power conservation should be our theme,” said Rakesh Tapal, president of the
colony’s mandal. Once the decoration for the pandal was in final stages the
members floated the idea of voluntary load shedding in all the 35 buildings
and 20 odd bungalows in the area.
“Representatives of all societies met and unanimously agreed to the
hour-long load shedding. But then we realised that monitoring each and every
house would be difficult so we requested Maharashtra State Electricity
Distribution Company (MSEDC) to switch off power to the colony,” said
Ravindra Naik, a resident.
Mulund is one of the worst hit by power shortage in the state and often
suffers regular powercuts stretching to hours. It’s only during the four
months of monsoon that the area gets uninterrupted electricity through 24
hours.
“We realised that Ganesh pandals across the city would consume a lot of
electricity so by saving some power at our end we could make good for the
excess consumed all over. Moreover if we do not conserve now we know that a
month later, when there is a power crisis in the state we would have to do
without electricity for hours,” said Pranjal Rane, a housewife, who makes it
a point to finish all her household chores before 10 am these days.
Impressed MSEDC officials have decided to give special letters of
appreciation to all residents. “This area is very unique. I have seen so
many mandals talking about several issues but this is the only one
practising what it preaches in its Ganpati pandal. When they came to us with
a request to turn off the power for an hour we were bit sceptical as we are
not allowed to switch off power supply during monsoons. Moreover, we feared
that some of the residents might not like it. But were surprised to know
that all the residents were in it together,” said Pradip Nichat, executive
engineer of Mulund MSEDC. The officials who have been visiting the area are
also impressed with the fact that the colony mandal is one of the few in the
suburb which has taken a legal electric connection especially for the
pandal. “Like many others they could have also stolen power from streetlight
poles but they chose not to do so. Hats off to them,” added Nichat.
“This is the least we can do for a better future. This is our way to
tell the world that it is about time we start conserving electricity,” says
Prabhakar Parab, head of the six member family that stays in one of the
bungalows in the colony.
Residents of the MHADA Colony have been saving 600 units of power every day,
according to MSEDC
Publication:Mumbai Mirror ; Date:Sep 25, 2007; Section:Front Page; Page
Number:1