Delhi’s half-hearted effort

The IPL and weather, it seems, proved to be a party pooper for the Earth Hour. Last year, Delhi saved 600 MW during the one hour when Delhiites switched off their lights and electrical appliances to give the planet a break from greenhouse gases.

The IPL and weather, it seems, proved to be a party pooper for the Earth Hour.

HT Image

Last year, Delhi saved 600 MW during the one hour when Delhiites switched off their lights and electrical appliances to give the planet a break from greenhouse gases.

This year, it couldn’t even save half as much—it only managed to save 290 MW.

“The decision to answer the call to turn off their lights was voluntary,” said Gopal Saxena, CEO of power distribution company BRPL. On Saturday, Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders took on on Preity Zinta’s King’s XI Punjab, starting 8 pm. That was 30 minutes before the start of Earth Hour.

However, skipping the match, it seems, proved difficult for cricket fans. “I saw the match in darkness. That should have made some difference,” says Kapil Chopra, an IT professional.

Weather conditions on Saturday, too, were not favourable as the maximum temperature on Saturday hovered around 38 degree Celsius, five degrees above normal.

“The absence of rainfall contributed to the heat and made this year among the hotter ones. The Western Disturbances have changed their course a bit and have also failed to provide any respite from the heat,” said S.C. Bhan, director of the India Meteorological Department.