Too lazy to save power

09 February,2010 01:22 PM IST |   |  Nolan Pinto

Bangalore refuses to Unplug despite severe power deficit of 200MW and frequent power cuts


Bangaloreu00a0refuses to Unplug despite severe power deficit of 200MW and frequent power cuts


Despite facing a severe power deficit and frequent power cuts every day, the city's corporate houses, schools and colleges are not willing to cooperate in an eco-friendly initiative to save power.

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Residents have refused to switch off electrical appliances from 7 pm to 8 pm this Saturday evening and partner the Batti Bandh or Bengaluru Unplugged drive.u00a0

Most people believe that the perils of climate change are just a myth, but Anoo Bhuyan, a college student, is a firm believer that the planet is headed for disaster.

Doing her bit to save the planet, she said, "This small initiative will go a long way inu00a0 saving our planet."u00a0



But, with no support from the corporates and educational institutions, this noble campaign is not making inroads.u00a0 "All the corporate houses wanted to know was, what they could get out of this," she said. "The scene was no different with educational institutions, with only two, of the 30 schools approached, helping us out," she added.

Save now: A group of socially conscious students conducted a flash play showcasing the benefits of Bengaluru Unplug at a coffee shop on MG Road yesterday


Of the dozen plus corporates approached, only one mobile operator in the city has promised support by dimming its 14-odd billboards across Bengaluru for that hour and also sending SMSes to it's nine lakh subscribers urging them to join this campaign.u00a0

The concept, Bengaluru Unplug, promoted by a group of socially conscious students is an avatar of the popular Batti Bandh project that was done in Mumbai in 2008. They aim to educate people to not just unplug for one day but also bring about more eco-friendly changes in their lifestyle. With this idea, they intend to bring about awareness regarding the dire consequences faced by the planet today.

Their first flash play was at a coffee shop on MG Road on Monday. "Since these places have a large moving crowd, we decided to stage our events over here," she said. A bystander, Preety Mundra who witnessed this flash play said that this initiative is good but just one day cannot make a big difference. "We must do this for one hour at least seven days a month," she said.

City battles load shedding
Bangalore city is facing a severe power deficit of around 200MW per day, said Satya Prem Kumar, GM HRD, BESCOM. This they manage by unscheduled load shedding which has been causing inconvenience to the general populace.


Plan of action

Batti Bandh Bengaluru intends to hold build-up events around the city in the following ways.
>>Flash plays
>>Flash singing performances
>>Flash dance performancesu00a0
>>Hula hooping
>>Holding events at major malls
>>Putting up posters in schools and collegesu00a0u00a0u00a0
>>Using Facebook and other social networking sites


What: Batti Bandh Bengaluru
When: Feb 13
Where: At your home or office
Time: 7-8 pm

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Bangalore power cuts unplug refusal Batti Bandh Bangalore 200 MW deficit