Greenpeace activists protest over Delhi's electricity crisis

Greenpeace activists today staged a demonstration outside the Vidhan Sabha here to protest over the electricity crisis in the city.
Holding posters with caricatures of Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, activists said the government had been assuring people of uninterrupted electricity supply without any concrete plan.
"Chief Minister should understand that real solution to power crisis doesn't lie in being over dependent on technologies based on coal which is becoming expensive," said Abhishek Pratap, Senior Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace India.
He said the government should increase its investments in renewable energy like solar and biomass to create sustainable future and long lasting energy infrastructure for the state.

"Over 75 per cent of Delhi's electricity comes from coal-based thermal power plant. Last year, 32 major thermal power plants, including five major power plants, faced severe coal shortage due to rising cost both domestic and international market, leading to deficit of 8000 MW of electricity generation," Pratap said.
The massive grid failure and blackout last year has shown that energy from fossil fuels and coal is not reliable, he added.
Emphasising that Delhi government's 12th five year plan doesn't have any provision for the energy sector, he said the Delhi government should develop a concrete energy plan based on alternate energy sources to infuse confidence among people.