Teri will show kids how to save power

BANGALORE: Catch them early and teach them early about the importance of saving energy . That is what a team from The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri )’s Educating Youth for Sustainable Development (EYSD ) hopes to achieve with students of primary and secondary schools in and around Bangalore .
For the next two years , starting July , the team will give hands-on training to students of 100 government and aided schools to show them waystosaveenergy in their environment .Be it switching off the lights and fan when a room is empty to cutting down on wasteful energy consumption , the youngsters will be taught the optimal use of energy in their environment , both at home and in school. The emphasis will be on minimaluseof natural resources to gain maximum output from it.
Teri’s team willsoon do an energy audit at the student’s home and school to find out the surplus energy being consumed by them and advise them on cutting it down in order to conserve energy . They will also pass on alternative methods of doing the same activity ,whichwill reduceenergy usage in their day-to-day activity .
“We have a distinct plan to approach the project . First , we find out the areas where they consume more than what they should. Next , we intervene meaningfully by supplying them devices (CFLs, etc) and show them how to do it. The students’ parents too will have an orientation session withuswherewetellthem what they can do at home to conserve energy ,” said Avanti Roy Basu , area convenor of EYSD .
By watching them intervene at various levels , the students are expected to learn and adopt energyfriendly measures gradually . The team from Teri will handhold the project and hand it over to the school authorities once they are confident that they can take it forward .
The project is being funded by Bescom with Teri as the implementing partner organization . Together , they plan to reach 50,000 students in primary and secondary stages in a two-year project .
Water conservation:
The Teri team did a similar water-education project in Mangalore , from where they made an exit only earlier this week. Of the 26 schools in which they intervened at various levels , two schools were developed as working models , complete with rainwater harvesting facilities , eco-sanitation set-ups and water classrooms .
“We gave them water-testing kits to use and did hand-holding in the last three years . Now they are selfsufficient and we made a gradual exit step by step . At regular intervals now , we get feedback from the school authorities . Local communities in the area also have been involved at every step so that they work in unison with the community principles ,” said Basu .
The other schools in the project were provided safe drinking facilities by actually constructing some . They were able to successfully environmentally orient 5,350 students of government schools in the process .

The Energy and Resources Institute has aptly planned to train 50,000 students on saving energy because the future of the planet lies in their hands. This is a welcome step as the young minds will learn an important lesson at a time when we see power crisis all around. TERI’s audit at schools and homes to guide children on using energy-friendly measures will further ensure that they take the issue seriously. As a result, everyone in the family, and society, will learn to conserve energy. It’s a good start and we hope the schools take this forward for a bright future.
Power points
Teri’s energy conservation project is funded by Bescom Two-year project in 100 schools to cover 50,000 kids Teri team will do energy audit; show kids and parents ways to conserve; set up working models Team to exit programme once school authorities are equipped to take over