Best Practices in Energy Efficiency in Lighting & Fuel Can Result in Substantial Savings for the Country

Ulhasnagar of all places ensconced in the sleepy Central suburbs of India could not have been for anything else but the industrious Sindhi community, displaced and distraught during the partition, uprooted not only from their lands of birth; but scarred emotionally, socially, financially and politically to a larger extent. It is here that a silent revolution of sorts in Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development is being smartly staged by the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC). The Electrical Engineering Department is in the forefront of this revolution, winning accolades one after the other for Energy Saving, Conservation & Management. What is more laudable is that the lessons of the Electrical Engineering Department of UMC is becoming an ideal, one which other Municipalities should aim to emulate and contribute to Sustarnable Development of Energy & Power in these times of extenuating shortages. The CIVIC bodies are bulk consumers of energy for providing and maintaining the infrastructure of the city. The environments, scarcity & cost of energy compelled UMC to find ways & means for reduction in energy waste and optimization in energy consumption. As Mr. Mukesh Ailani, Executive Engineer-Electrical Engineering Dept., UMC says: “the approach to energy saving in the area of street and community lighting itself needs a serious re-examination”. While tackling the issue of electricity bills, the department targeted expense incurred on repairs and maintenance as well. Earlier the corporation used to purchase materials from any agency and quoted the lowest price and goods were purchased in smaller quantities. As cost cutting measures began, UMC has bargained hard with established Companies to get the very best. This not only reduced the expenses incurred on purchasing materials but also considerably brought down repairs and maintenance cost.