Don’t be amazed if you find the otherwise well-lit Vidhana Soudha or Vikasa Soudha covered in darkness on March 31. This will be Namma Bengaluru’s way to contribute to Earth Hour 2012 that aims to inspire citizens to take action by switching off lights to make their city the Earth Hour Champion. The city utility, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), that has been participating in Earth Hour for the last four year, has this year, taken the initiative to include all its consumers, including government buildings.
“All Bescom offices will be participating in Earth Hour. A circular has been sent to all Bescom zonal offices, asking the staff to meet with local resident welfare associations, requesting them to switch off power from 8.30 to 9.30 pm on March 31,” said Satyaprem Kumar, general manager (DSM), Bescom. On March 31, Bengaluru, along with more than 5,000 cities across the globe will switch off lights between 8.30 and 9.30 pm in a symbolic gesture of saving the planet from climate change.
Bescom is also looking at this as an opportunity to spread the message of saving power and has decided to include the Vidhana Soudha and Vikas Soudha. “We ahve already discussed this with officials in charge for Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha. They have agreed to support Earth Hour. We are also looking at asking all government offices in the city to participate. This year, we are looking at making a power saving of over 100 MW at least through this initiative,” added Mr Kumar.
The initiative by the city utility gains importance, especially as Earth Hour organisers have announced that whichever city receives maximum participation from its citizens, organizations and government will be declared the Earth Hour Champion. While the city utility has promised to do its share, industry bodies also have extended their support to the movement. “We have asked industries in the city to participate in Earth Hour on March 31. Such initiatives are important for spreading the message of energy conservation” said J.R. Bangera, president, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FKCCI).