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NEW DELHI, 6 June 2013: 92.7 BIG FM Delhi, in association with NGO Greenpeace India, today brought together residents of Delhi to enable them to claim their right to clean and sustainable energy while demanding the Delhi government to ?Switch On the Sun?. On the occasion of World Environment Day which is celebrated globally on 5th June, 92.7 BIG FM Delhi and Greenpeace India organized the first-ever Bike-A-Thon in India at Dilli Haat in order to highlight that the Delhi-ites hold the power that is required to generate their own uninterrupted and clean supply of electricity by installing solar panels on their rooftops.
The Bike-A-Thon was organised to raise awareness about solar energy as part of Greenpeace India?s campaign on renewable energy and symbolised Delhi?s ability to become self sufficient to meet its energy needs. The residents in Delhi joined 92.7 BIG FM Delhi and Greenpeace India in this innovative event to urge the Delhi government to bring forth a people oriented renewable energy policy. As a part of the initiative, stationary cycles were connected to electrical circuits that generated electricity when people cycled and lit up the ?Switch on the Sun? message.
Attended by National Service Scheme members, cycling groups like Delhi Cyclists and Pedal Yatri, school students, college students, resident welfare associations, senior citizen groups, and supporters, the bike-a-thon created a forum for people to learn about how they can utilise their rooftops for generating electricity by installing solar technology and truly energise Delhi.
?Delhi has immense potential in terms of solar energy and the power of sun can negate the rising power tariffs, prolonged power cuts and the ever increasing gap in demand and supply of electricity. Delhi has been at the forefront for clean energy for its transport, then why can?t they take lead in clean energy for people. All that the government needs to do is introduce a pioneering policy on solar roof top that will encourage people to use this infinite source of energy,? said Akshey Kalra, mobilisation campaigner, Greenpeace India.
Mr. Ashwin Padmanabhan, Business Head ? 92.7 BIG FM, said, ?It has been our constant endeavour to associate with socially relevant causes that encourage our listeners to do their bit in conserving our ecosystem. Through the ?Switch on the Sun? initiative and Bike-A-Thon, we are encouraging Delhi-ites to take a stand against the acute power cuts that are plaguing the city. Through this initiative, we continue to lead environment-friendly activities, being ?Hit The Hit Rahenge? while urging listeners to use renewable energy sources.?
?During summers we curse the sun and the heat, but surprisingly, we never realise that this energy can be diverted to light up not just Delhi, but the whole country. I am here to pledge my support for this campaign because I truly believe that renewables can power this country?s ambitions. Moreover, this is such a unique way to educate and inform people about solar power,? said Anshuman Sood, a cyclist from Anand Niketan, who came to participate at the bike-a-thon.
Delhi had performed abysmally in a Greenpeace India ranking of all the states on their renewable energy supply in total energy mix. The report titled ?Powering Ahead on Renewables: Leaders and Laggards? shows that Delhi, despite being the national capital and aspiring to be a world class sustainable city, is one of the worst performers.
Along with the Bike-A-Thon, Greenpeace also launched a solar rooftop calculator which residents can use to calculate the amount of energy one?s roof-space can generate and the amount of money saved in electricity bills by installing solar. Residents can also get authentic information about scheduled and unscheduled power cuts in Delhi through a Greenpeace and powercuts in platform to map power crisis in Delhi. Residents can message, mail and call to inform about power cuts and that data is displayed on a map. This crowd sourced data feeds into twitter and can also be used by residents to question DISCOMs and Delhi government?s claim about 24x7 power supply.
