India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced “Prakash Path – way to light” campaign to call for a national energy conservation revolution, according to reports from several Indian news agencies.
The world’s second most populous country plans to install LED bulbs for domestic and streetlights in a hundred cities before March 2016 under its LED-Based Home and Street Lighting Program.
A people’s movement
The Prime Minister said energy conservation comes with just an easy act, as he symbolically replaced a bulb in his office with LED bulb. South Block saved up 7,000 units per months by replacing all of its bulbs with LEDs.
Hence, Modi called for generating awareness among mass civilian, making energy conservation “a people’s movement”. Involvements of celebrities or eminent citizens in the program will motivate people to adopt LED bulbs, he said.
The Prime Minister said the involvement of entrepreneurs, eminent citizens and common people in the program would save the environment and is considered as an act of patriotism.
He also urged districts and towns with population above one hundred thousand to set up goals to prioritize the program.
Two LED bulbs for Rs. 10
While the LED-Based Home and Street Lighting Program is meant for the whole nation, Delhi citizens will be receiving two LED bulbs via online or sms request under Domestic Efficient Lighting Program (DELP).
The web system provides consumers two LED bulbs at an initial payment of Rs. 10 (US $0.16), and another Rs. 10 will be added to their electricity bills for the next 12 months. Delhi consumers can save up Rs. 324 annually with the new LED bulbs.
Prime Minister Modi also handed over two LED bulbs to a civilian, who was the first person to register on the system.