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Electricity Wastage and Environment

Dr Farzana Ishrai
A lot of debate is going on about the Inadequate production and supply of electricity in the country and the subsequent necessity of importing the same until more can be produced within the country. No doubt as a rapidly developing country, the demand for electricity is ever increasing. In this context, please allow me to cite a few example of wastage apart from the staggering amount of systems loss and suggest some solutions.
Go to any government of-fice/educatlonal institu-tlon/dormitories. you will see the employees/students do not bother to switch the fans/lights and other electrical appliances off when they leave their offices /classrooms. The officials may be away for hours together attending seminars etc., but their ACs/fans/lights are not switched off. Sometimes these are not switched off even at the end of the day when the offices are locked.
The students think it is the duties of the MLSS to switch off the fans and lights when they leave the classrooms. As a resident of a dormitory, more often than not, I found my fellow stu dents going to their classes for the day without switching off the fans. Both male and female students cook their own meals in their respective rooms using electric cooker. What an unnecessary waste of limited resources as well as undue tax on our environment!
Ix>ok around the government buildings Everyday you will see the overhead tanks are over flowing for hours While work ing in Cox's Bazaar. I went up to the Executive Engineer. PWD after we (doctors and magistrates residing in the officers colony) Couldn't stop this for a single
day. He was afraid to reprimrind' the pump operator (a masterrole employee) because of the trade unions!
Go to any city market. E’/en during the day the small sh ops (6'xl Z) are blazing 1200-2000 watts. Larger shops use prorxw-tionately higher watts. In fact, the larger shops to counter the heat generated from such high voltage lights use ACs. Tty. ng to combat a problem that did not exist in the first place. What a waste in a country with millions below the absolute’ poverty line! I would like to suggest a few short — and long-term steps to curb this wastage
The primary school curricula should include chapiters in social science/literatu re on thriftiness, honesty preservation of national assets to create awareness that this is our "one earth, for us to nurture and protect." so that these th ings are implanted in their branns and they will grow up to be worthy citizens
Coin/card — operated electric meters be installed in every room of the dormitories and also in areas with high systems loss Once they are made to pre pay for the electricity t' ley con sume, the users will automat! cally stop misusing and wastage Haven't we -teen the success of card phones ? In turn, the authorities can afford to serve better food using the money saved from h gh electricity bills, thereby to away with the necessity oi cooking their own meals by the rest dents
Voluntary groups may be formed with local yautha/studenta/ret ired citi ■Sha to make sure the pump op-
erators switch off the pthqps on time. Tickets' may be isstted-against defaulters. A certain number (3-5) tickets a month will lead to a fine to be realised from the operator's salary. Repeated fines may lead to automatic suspension. Sometimes we have to be harsh for greater benefit.
The officials should give standing orders that if and when they forget to switch off the electrical appliances, their MLSS/PAs should do so. Also the habit of using both the AC and electric fans simultaneously in the offices should be stopped Bangladesh is perhaps the only country where ACs and electric fans are used simultaneously.
Make the city markets and shops strictly adhere to the 8 O'clock limit for business. If they want longer business they can start early. In terms of fashion and luxury, we try to follow the industrialised West, but why don't we also follow their good qualities? The business hours there is 9 am to 5 pm with exceptions up to 7 pm only on certain days of the week for certain shops only
The city corporations/DESA may limit the use of electricity per square meter in the shope/buslness houses/ofRces (depending on their nature of work) Use of several hundred watts of light within the confinement of a small shop is a health hazard The people should be made aware of it
Let us all. tn the wake of worldwide campaign to protect mother earth s environment, pledge to play an active role in thrtfunesa honesty and patri Miam and use our limited m-aowes with minimum wastage and maximum benefit.