State fails to switch on CFL bulbs in dark times

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State fails to switch on CFL bulbs in dark times

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: At a time when the state is facing power crisis and the government is chanting ‘save power’ mantra, a novel scheme ‘Bachat Lamp Yojana,’ meant for saving power, has been put on the back burner.
    The ambitious project to replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) was started last year, but till date it was completed in only two divisions, of Central Power Distribution Company Limited (CPDCL) in Habsiguda and Kukatpally.
    Sources said CPDCL officials were not showing any interest in the implementing agency as distribution has been taken up by private firms.
    The implementing agencies in AP Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL) have already stopped the project due to lack of financial viability of the project. The ‘Bachat Lamp Yojana’ scheme was taken up by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Union ministry of power in 2009. CFL bulbs are being distributed by implementing agency C-Quest Capital laysia Ltd
Ma- and C-Quest Capital Green Ventures Pvt Ltd in the CPDCL jurisdiction. The project was supposed to begin in 2009 itself, but got delayed as various approvals were pending.
    The project hopes to prod households to use CFL in place of incandescent bulbs, which consume more energy. As per the preliminary estimations, if CFLs are used, power discoms could save 25 megawatts (MW) in Ranga Reddy North circle alone. If the project is implemented in seven districts of CPDCL, the power distribution company could save about 300 MWs during peak hours.
Though the target was to complete the pilot project by distributing about six lakh CFLs to households replacing traditional bulbs within a year, the CPDCL and implementing agencies could distribute only 3.2 lakh CFLs in Habsiguda and Kukatpally divisions of Ranga Reddy (North). In other Ranga Reddy North circles like Medchal and Gachibowli it has not been taken up till date.
“So far, 64,651 households were given 11 watt CFLs replacing their 60-watt bulb and another 1, 53,377 CFLs were distributed to households by replacing their 100 watt bulbs. Other one lakh bulbs have been distributed in Habsiguda division. By distributing the CFLs, we could save about 17 MWs of power,” CPDCL chief general manager, Ranga Reddy circle, A Narasimha Das, said.“CPDCL is only facilitating the implementing agency to distribute bulbs,” he added.