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IPL Matches at Night - Who cares for ENERGY conservation?
Written By kbsyed61 - 18 April, 2010
Bangalore BESCOM Power Power Supply Citizen Reports electricity IPL Cricket
This photo's source is TravelPod page:
Thanks to current IPL controversies, now many questions are being raised including ethical, moral and social aspects. In all of these, I am trying to ask myself a question, even though I am also a cricket lover as millions others. The question I am asking myself is should the sports be played in night which compels to use flood lights?
Given the IPL context in which most of the matches are played at night, It is no secret that these matches need lighting arrangements consuming hundreds of kilowatts of power.
This in turn has many issues that we all need to look into. First issue is a social question. Should the matches be played at Night? When the cities are struggling with power shortages, is it right for sports managements to conduct matches at night which make use of large amount of energy resources?
Second is a moral question. When every other citizen is waking up and pitching for energy conservation, isn't a time for all of us including sports management to say NO to matches at night?
Third is an ethical question. What is the source of electricity that is given/available at the stadiums? Is it being provided from the public energy grids/corporations? If yes, what is the pricing criteria? If not and if it is from the stadiums own generating arrangements, then the source of the fuel and the price they for?
Going forward, if you all feel we should get some answers to these and other questions, IA, I can certainly volunteer to obtain information via RTIs, friendly email exchanges etc.
COMMENTS
kbsyed61 - 18 April, 2010 - 15:49
SB,
You have read the post completely wrong and so is your line of argument.
The post is not about me, your and others right to good life. It is about what cost. Just because, I earn handsomely and lead a good life, enjoy cricket should be given of privilege of enjoying a good night of cricket even if it has to spend precious resources. When the energy is a already a precious commodity, should we afford to spend it all in the name of entertainment, when the same game can be played in daytime and sunlight.
Issue raised here is isn't time to play sport in day times so that energy can be preserved. It is not about my deep pockets to buy the entertainment, but it is about my fellow citizens right to availability of power for reasonable time during the day/night.
If I agree with your argument "...'I want to work, I want to play, and I want to have fun. I want good quality of life, and entertainment is part of that...", then the personal vehicle owners are right in their own not to use public transport. It is like saying because I pay for water supply, I have a right to spend as I want to. Is that's the life style we would live? or also care for society and its constituents.
But, I am all with you on other side of the game. Generating electricity and its availability. Count me in for any RTI work on that front.
silkboard - 18 April, 2010 - 16:30
Rigt levels of consumption, consciousness and economics etc can be argued endlessly as each will have own line of what is worth and what is not. I will leave it at that, and sign off from such discussion.
But "does BESCOM supply subsidized power to KSCA" - this question is definitely a good one to ask.
Also, I would say that "energy is a precious commodity" is not the best statement. Some sources of energy (like fossil fuel) are precious commodities, that's more like it.
Cricket Match Flood Lights are run entirely using Generators
Vasanth - 19 April, 2010 - 01:36
Cricket stadium flood lights is lit using Generators. Under each flood light, there are two generators, one primary and second one is the standby. Power is not taken from public grid.
But, then comes the question of burning the fossil fuel. People say I have the money, so I will burn just like any car driver!
Ravi_D - 19 April, 2010 - 03:27
....and the diesel used in those generators is probably the same one subsidized for freight traffic or public transport. Just like gen sets running in almost every building in Bangalore, and every large diesel guzzler SUV you see on our roads. Someone pls tell me I'm wrong.
This whole subsidy thing... well, let me not get carried away here.
attacking the wrong side of equation?
silkboard - 18 April, 2010 - 14:44
At least for now, I would focus all RTIs and activism and such on the "supply side" of power equation. Why are we not getting enough electricity so that such posts are not written by people at all? Why do we have to talk about the conservation (demand side) most of the time? Why does it need to be take-from-X and give-to-Y (shortage) situations?.
I want to work, I want to play, and I want to have fun. I want good quality of life, and entertainment is part of that.
On pricing though, that is an interesting and curious question. I am guessing that KSCA pays above normal rates to get uninterrupted supply from BESCOM. Or, they may have a huge captive diesel gen-set of their own.
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