Maharashtra ministers to turn off power for Earth Hour
By IANSFriday, March 26, 2010
MUMBAI - Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his cabinet colleagues and other officials will lead the state’s participation in the Earth Hour by switching off all non-essential lights Saturday at 8.30 p.m.
“I will be switching off all non-essential lights in my office and residence, and have requested all my colleagues and staff to take part in this global initiative,” the chief minister said in a special message late Friday night.
Chavan noted that last year, Mumbai had pioneered and participated in the Earth Hour, which is the World Wide Fund for Nature’s global initiative of creating awareness about climate change.
“This campaign is basically to sensitise the individuals towards sustainable living and arrest the depletion of our natural resources. Earth Hour is the need of the hour as we have witnessed changes in our surroundings,” Chavan said, calling upon citizens of the state to switch off all non-essential lights Saturday for an hour.
“I request every citizen to participate in this campaign tomorrow,” he said.
Mumbai, New Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other cities have agreed to take part in the Earth Hour Saturday, said WWF state director Goldin Quadros.
The Earth Hour will be kicked off with a candle light procession to be led by Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav at Shivaji Park.
Besides WWF, several organisations, groups and individual volunteers will exhort citizens to participate in Earth Hour. “We expect the direct participation of over 100,000 Mumbaikars, besides many others who will switch off non-eswential lights,” Quadros told IANS.
The lights will go off Saturday at Mantralaya and New Administrative Buildings, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Air India building, the Reserve Bank of India, the Taj Group of Hotels, Le Meridien Hotel, ITC Grand Maratha, Godrej Colony, Crompton Greaves, HSBC Bank, ICICI Bank, St. Xaviers College, many private housing and office complexes across the city.
This is the fourth Earth Hour worldwide and the second in India - last year, it was held March 28. It is fixed for the fourth Saturday of March every year.
