The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Switching off lights for a cause

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Sunday, May 04, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Switching off lights for a cause

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad may not have gone under blanket of darkness in response to the ‘Hyderabad Unplug’, a people’s voluntary initiative for an hour from 7.30 p.m. on Saturday. But the voluntary campaign, supported by WWF-India, urging people of twin cities to turn off lights and electrical devices did not go in vain as it did draw people’s attention to the serious consequences of global warming and rising temperatures.

Several apartment dwellers from various areas in the city voluntarily switched off lights to show their solidarity and support to the ‘Hyderabad Unplug’ initiative. ‘Majonita Paradise’ and ‘Shantisagar’ apartment complexes in Dattatreyanagar, Asifnagar, switched off the lights for an entire hour with all residents spontaneously supporting the cause, said Farida Tampal, Director, State Office, WWF-India.

Some residents of apartment complexes in Kukatpally, Vijayanagar Colony, Humayunnagar, Malakpet and those from outside city too called in to say they turned off the lights and electrical devices, according to a representative of Hyderabad Unplug team.

The campaign is not about switching off lights to save power for an hour. It is a small beginning to create mass awareness about global warming and what individuals and organisations could do to reduce the impact, organisers said. As power sector was the biggest contributor to global warming, the Hyderabad Unplug initiative was to convince people about judicious use of power and sensitise them about several ways to save power, like turning off monitors, mobile chargers, unplugging appliances on standby, they added.

The State Legislative Assembly too, as mark of its solidarity, turned off lights for one hour between 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. The directions were given by the Assembly Speaker. The ‘Hyderabad Unplug’ was symbolically launched at Mountain Heights, Shilparamam with film actress Ileana giving the count down and Director Sekhar Kammula switching off the lights as GHMC Commissioner C.V.S.K. Sharma was held up in a meeting and sent his message. Following switch off, the awareness programme on Global Warming was conducted with rechargeable mikes, LCDs and the place was lit with candles and using solar power.

The organisers urged the people against use of plastic, another environmental hazard, and shift to cloth bags, travelling in car pools or cab pools to cut down on carbon monoxide emissions.

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