Agricultural varsity keen on conserving energy

LUDHIANA: In times when the state is facing acute power shortage, the premier institute of agriculture, Punjab Agricultural University is trying to compensate by shifting to CFL bulbs that can be helpful in conserving energy.
The university is endeavouring to replace all traditional lightning equipments with the CFLs. Even the students have been urged to use these bulbs as they consume less electricity.
Talking to TOI, Dr Milka Singh Aulakh, dean, College of Agriculture informed, ���Not only students, we have asked all messes, canteens and our staff to use CFLs. Students too can join the cavalcade to conserve energy as it can be used for agriculture and industry.���
He further said, ���Moreover, the university is also planning to replace all bulbs in its laboratories, classrooms and buildings for the purpose. Next on the priority of PAU is to conserve electricity by using solar energy for heating water.���
���We need a lot of water in all the research laboratories. We are trying to use solar energy for the purpose as it would save resources,��� said Dr Aulakh adding that two buildings have already been equipped with solar panels to heat water.
Grappling with the scarcity of funds to move ahead in its endeavours to conserve energy, the university is planning to install solar water heaters in hostels. Students have been demanding hot water geysers for use in winters. ���Instead of installing electric geysers, we are planning to install solar panels by winters,��� said Aulakh. However, the conscious dean stated that money was the biggest impediment in reverting to renewable sources of energy.
Even as the university requires a large quantity of distilled water in its various buildings, it is planning to use water harvesting techniques atop each building to store water that could be used in place of bottled distilled water.
���Except the first rain of the season, all other following showers contain least impurities and that could be a replacement for distilled water,��� said Dr Aulakh informing that the university had already made arrangements for rain water harvesting at its library.
Even the veterinary university, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences university had installed 20 solar lights at its clinics and research farms. These small endeavours by the universities in city are a good example for the outside world to follow.