Your front page news item "Power ministry to shut down 6000-MW thermal capacity" by Shreya Jai (September 7) about Power Ministry's decision to shut down 6,000-Mw (megawatt) thermal capacity, is heartening. Here is a proof of the country's sincerity in honouring the commitments made by the Prime Minister at Paris. With the huge success in adding new solar energy capacity, such measures will help a lot in reducing our çarbon footprint and will convince the international community that we mean business.
Indeed the over-enthusiasm of civil society groups like ICELA in seeking shutdown of 34,278 Mw coal-fired capacity may be somewhat premature and less than pragmatic. Such groups must keep in mind that unless we can put in place additional installed "green" capacity equivalent to at least 50 per cent higher than what they are seeking to shut down, they should hold their guns, sloganeering and running to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The country's growth pattern has to be sustained and it can be done only if the relevant people heads put on their thinking caps and make constructive and workable suggestions.
Let these well-meaning people concentrate on augmenting our renewable energy capacity. Let them also address their energies and considerable knowledge to the conservation of energy, improvement in our energy efficiency and other low hanging fruits rather than just howling about "shutting down all polluting capacity". Energy saved is the same thing as energy produced and there is a huge scope for savings. Only then we can, by all means, seek shutdowns.
Krishan Kalra, Gurgaon
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201
E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
