Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Fwd: Bachat Lamp Yojna & Cheap specatcles for the poor.



Bachat Lamp Yojna & Cheap spectacles for the poor.

In an interview in the DNA (Daily News & Analysis,Jan 5,2009), Ajay Mathur, director general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) states that the Indian Government has introduced a scheme called Bachat Lamp Yojna under which CFL lamps are made available to houses at Rs.15, which is the cast of a normal bulb. The company that sells the CFL at a cheaper rate earns carbon credits and recovers the balance cost by selling those credits in the market. This is a piece of good news. I am wondering why BEST, Tata Power, MSEB  and Reliance Energy do not take up this scheme which ha the potential to reduce power consumption  and carbon footprint ? 

Earlier January 3 issue of DNA had a news item about cheap spectacles like AdSpecs which contain fluid in its lenses which enable the poor to have better vision. A Dutch institution, the the Focus on Vision Foundation, produces its Focusspec glasses for about $4 a pair. Here is an opportunity for our own trusts, foundations and NGOs to bring it India.

January 5,2009.

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