‘’Electricity is empowerment. In rural areas it helps kids study after dusk, it helps ease the workload of people, it improves agricultural output, it helps set up small scale industries and connects remote areas with the world at large via the Internet and smartphones. This is empowerment in its truest sense and real democracy in action,” says Meera Vashisht.
It’s hard to imagine these words might be quoted from a 13-year-old girl. Born of Indian origin, raised in the US and settled in Sugar Land, Texas, Vashist is already a propagator of change. She never believed that physical absence could pose as a hindrance to help empower her motherland. While working on a school project, she stumbled upon India’s LED initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was extremely impressed. The Indian government has a developed a plan to replace 77 crore incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs, as a part of the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) scheme. There are several beneficiary factors of using these bulbs. They last 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb, they don’t heat up too quickly, are extremely energy efficient, durable and mercury free.
Wonder where the problem lies? The cost. These bulbs when bought from private sector manufacturers cost about Rs 85. For a country like India where certain villages are still not economically advanced, convincing them to invest in a bulb more expensive that the regular one is a challenge despite all the benefits.
This is where Meera spotted a gap and stepped in. Her initial plan was to donate her allowances to the UJALA scheme. Having realised that the money collected would not suffice her motive, she devised a bigger plan and decided to host a fund raiser. She picked up a telephone directory and started writing letters to random people in the US, asking for help in making LED bulbs available to those who need them the most in India. She understood it would be hard to convince people to contribute but had to remind them that it was for a worldly cause. Her belief is that the planet is one and whatever happens in India affects everyone.
Soon after her heartfelt letter went out, her first cheque arrived in just a few days, and the money kept coming in after that. Meera sent 500 letters and collected $ 2,000 (approximately Rs. 1,30,000) over the span of a year. Her mother Sunanda Vashisht then contacted India’s Ministry of Power, informing them about Meera’s desire to visit and contribute to their mission, and the authorities were more than willing to assist in logistical help.
Her desire is to spread awareness and make people understand that investing in LEDs would not be a waste of money but a beacon of hope for villages in India. This initiative was triggered by her grandfather who always encouraged her to be a custodian of the environment.
In a report to Economic times, Union power ministry spokesperson said ‘The event in Delhi will be organised with the aim of spreading awareness regarding energy efficiency and also to motivate more children to come forward and replicate such noble initiatives’
India has an annual power shortfall of 3.6%, and being Asia’s third largest economy it is in dire need of additional power to fuel its growth ambitions. Initiatives like the LED movement will uplift India to greater heights environmentally and economically for a brighter future.
Words:Niketa Mohan
Feature Image Courtesy:The Huffington Post