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From global warming being a figment of our imaginations to arguments about polar bears benefiting from climate change — the ridiculousness of conversations centred around this phenomenon never fail to amuse. Having said that, with astounding levels of ridiculousness also comes some much-needed awareness. In India alone, numerous innovative initiatives working towards replacing conventional and environmentally degrading fuels with sustainable alternatives are cropping up. 2018 has witnessed many such endeavours come to life ranging from a fully solar-powered brewery in Mysore to NavAlt, India’s first commercial ferry that is completely fueled by solar energy. Mumbai’s iconic Metro Cinema too has recently joined this league of innovators.
Metro Cinema in partnership with Inox has added two new 100% solar-powered screens to the establishment. Founded in 1938, this heritage cinema hall, which was Mumbai’s first single screen theatre to adopt the multiplex model, is famous for its ability to keep abreast of latest technology trends while maintaining its old-world charm. Metro Inox’s step towards adopting the environmentally friendly alternative will not only help reduce the carbon footprint by mitigating a total of 2829 tons of carbon dioxide in its operational life but will also set a great example for other corporations to do the same. “It is a considerably large monetary investment, but it is a profitable one when viewed as a long-term project, especially when you take into account the environmental payback,” said Vikram Gupta, director of the Metro Group. “We have invested close to INR 60 lakh, but will be compensated for it in three years and after that have access to free power forever. It is extremely important to look at the bigger picture,” he added. Gupta is also an active environmentalist and founder of the Gaia Conservation Foundation that contributes extensively to urban forestry in Mumbai.
Apart from Metro Inox’s contribution to India’s solar revolution, this initiative is an extremely beneficial model for other heritage sites to follow. “It is extremely important for heritage establishments like ours to stay up to date with technology as it helps increase profitability by cutting down costs and subsequently helps with the upkeep, which is something that most heritage sites struggle with,” explained Gupta. Not being able to expand to all eight screens due to technical restrictions, Metro Inox aims to eventually be completely environmentally friendly. However, what it is doing is giving its customers the opportunity to contribute to environmental conservation by simply buying a movie ticket at solar-powered Metro as opposed to other cinemas. An added benefit is the fact that solar power adds no extra cost to the pre-existing ticket prices.
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