By Abha Anindita
So ja beta warna Gabbar aajayega,” the timeless dialogue from the iconic Sholay that translates to “son, go to sleep, otherwise Gabbar will come;” Gabbar was a ruthless dacoit. In Meghalaya, mothers don’t need to invoke the name to pack off their children to bed; they themselves hit the sack before the clock strikes 12 at night, not out of any Gabbaresque fear, but sheer fear of load-shedding.
The recent election season ensured uninterrupted power supply in the state, but darkness dawned once the festival of democracy was over and a new government took charge. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, on May 2, said that load-shedding could not be resorted to because of the elections and has had to opt for it now.
However, load-shedding is the last resort the state turns to as part of demand side management (DSM); the middle ground is often not talked about.
Sumarbin Umdor, Head of Department, Economics, NEHU in a conversation with The Meghalayan suggested that the power utilities could think of demand side management for an immediate resolution of the power shortage issue.
“Conversations about the gap between demand and supply exist, however the middle ground is not talked about. Primarily, the state should start encouraging the use of energy-efficient gadgets,” he added.
Energy efficient-gadgets mean the particular product consumes less energy to give the same result. The new generation refrigerators, motor pumps use much less power as compared to the ones that were manufactured in the 70s or 80s.
Speaking about how Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) is trying to raise awareness about DSM, Sanjay Goyal, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, rued, “We keep printing ‘Save Electricity’ on all our bills, nobody seems to take it seriously.”
“But the DSM will happen by raising awareness of the consumers, in terms of saving electricity, in terms of using more efficient gadgets, lights, fans, water coolers, fridges. But we are planning and devising a strategy by interacting with the consumers more through social media, Twitter or Facebook and instagram and it will be coupled with creating awareness asking people to pay their bills on time, not indulge in power theft because ultimately somebody is suffering,” he said.
The government of India took up this massive exercise through Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). It ended up replacing normal bulbs with LEDs and CFL bulbs that consumed one-third of the energy of the earlier gadgets.
Some states have also gone to the extent of incentivising consumers to exchange their old gadgets for new ones in a bid to promote the use of energy-efficient gadgets.
Goyal said the exercise was a game changer, however, given the current state of the discom, incentivising looks like a far-fetched dream.
“Obviously this is something we can do in the long run,” he said.
Beyond the promotion of the energy-efficient gadgets, there are several other options that the state can resort to save energy. Making sure the new buildings coming up in New Shillong are energy-efficient, should be a good start.
Goyal, however, clarified that the power department could not do much in this regard.
“The new building law, new building code, it entails a certain level of efficiency in terms of lighting or insulation and all are there, the point is bigger here in the state. Even the urban development authority, which is MUDA, has a limited area of authority, there are multiple players within certain limits,” he added.
Umdor suggested tariff slabs according to the time of the day could help reduce consumption of power during peak hours.
“The problem with demand and supply is not that it is the same throughout the day, the demand is not consistent, at certain times of the day, the power usage is at its peak. If the tariff is more during that particular time, people will be conscious and stop using more gadgets during that time or will switch to energy-efficient gadgets.”
He also advocated energy auditing. In energy auditing an energy auditor is to assess the building’s energy use, including lighting, appliances, insulation, heating and cooling and ventilation systems. They also review the building’s energy bills and conduct a walkthrough to identify any energy waste or inefficiencies.
“MeECL has failed, but it must succeed,” Umdor said.