India's Opposition Politicians Call Government BS on Power

Good friend Mohanakrishnan has sent this piece by former Indian Express Editor and MP Arun Shourie on the power situation in India: http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090228/1241/top-half-truths-and-whole-lies.html Conveniently, Shourie does not do more than offer acute criticism. In the event that his party wins in the coming election, it would not help for him to articulate a solution that his own colleagues would almost certainly forget, like India's politicians are almost obliged to once they win.

That said, the state of Karnataka's regulation requiring new apartment buildings to mandatorily have solar powered water heaters is something that the rest of India needs to emulate. And the Government of India, the almighty power that feeds the Indian nation out of the goodness of its mammaries, could look at putting solar panels on government buildings. Prices for solar photovoltaics are low at the moment as the current recession bites across the world and the doofuses in Delhi could get a bargain if they tried to set up a tendering process for them. Let us hope that common sense (a very uncommon commodity in India, by the way) prevails at least as the country lurches towards an election.

Indian Opposition Parties Call Government BS on Power

A link sent my by friend Mohanakrishnan on Yahoo's Indian website has former Indian Express Editor and MP Arun Shourie call the government's lies on the power situation: http://in.news.yahoo.com/48/20090228/1241/top-half-truths-and-whole-lies.html But Shourie is a politician these days and he confines his remarks to acute criticisms without offering any possible solutions to the crisis. Or, he may not be aware of the alternatives that are available and which could be used beginning tomorrow if the Indian government and private bodies in India so choose.

The state of Karnataka has introduced some sensible legislation mandating solar powered water heaters for all new multistorey apartment buildings. I think they need to go further by offering tax incentives to owners of older buildings and of individual homes to do the same. And, considering the problems that Bangalore has with power, why not ask all of the software companies - none of them are short a buck or two - to put solar photovoltaic panels on their rooftops? Indeed, why can't the almighty Government of India begin with a plan to make all buildings owned by the government either fully or partially powered by solar power? With the current glut in solar panel production and the low price of panels as many companies feel the recession bite across the world, this would be a superb time to buy and set this up.

Here's hoping for the best ONLY because this is an election year. Indian politicians work hardest in the run up to an election. Hopefully, in the two or three months ahead, they would do something useful on the power front.