Shocking!

People always say that I go ga-ga over Pune. Well, all's not swell. People crib about the traffic. Yes, it is awful, but it hardly affects me. Anyway, the worst part about Pune is surely the power supply. Its not like some random problem which keeps recurring. As a part of load-shedding, every day, there is no power between 3 to 7 pm. And then also alternate nights, no power till I leave. Which means bathing with cold water (brrr...). This mandated load-shedding apart, there are many occasions, where electricity keeps going. Now, Pune is no longer a small town to afford that kind of supply shortage. Surely, Maharashtra Govt. has been napping big time all this while.


Just to think of all the financial loss that happens. And it cannot be small. Small industrial units, which do not have backup generator have their work stalled. No output and workers still to pay! People don't venture out during powerless nights. Meaning, lesser business for traders, shop owners, businessmen. Economy grinding to halt (and then we keep complaining why our GDP doesn't cross 7).


Now, the government has created a high level committee headed by Dr. Mashelkar to look into the alternate power sources. Now, just a few months back, there was a malicious attempt to halt a wind-power project somewhere in Maharashtra. The reason being given that, it has led to fall in rain-fall. Now, surely, you must be joking. Rainfall is dependent on the atmospheric conditions atleast 500 meters above the ground . To say that some scattered windmills can check the advancement of rain clouds is preposterous. Anyway, the point is that, any new implementation is stymie by these pea-brained people. The power shortage is going to give the government to revive the Enron project, whose power is still going to be unafforable for the government to purchase. All in the name of the lucre.


Good thing here, due to power shortage, people have moved to solar water heaters in a big way. Still space is still affordable and many people own row houses/bungalows, you can find many such heaters installed on the terrace. Solar power is something that we need to pursue fanatically, if we want to move away from the traditional (and environment damaging) energy sources.