The Bandel thermal power plant. A Telegraph picture

The current power crisis in the state may trigger off a graver environmental crisis in the not too distant future. With the state reeling under hours of power cuts daily, the government has no option but to ramp up electricity production. The gestation period for hydel power plants at eight years is more than double that of thermal power plants. Hence, thermal power is the government’s choice. But it is also a primary cause for climate change.

“Every unit of thermal power generated adds to the risk of global warming. We should cut out unnecessary consumption and, more importantly, wastage,” said an environmentalist at a meeting organised by consumer group, Consumer Unity and Trust Society.

At the meeting, power secretary Sunil Mitra admitted, perhaps for the first time, that climate change and global warming are “real concerns” and also stressed on the need to minimise power wastage. In the same breath, he also spoke about the government’s large-scale plans to generate electricity through thermal power plants.

Consumers share little of the environmentalist’s concern for thermal power. A survey by the organisation showed that only a small percentage of people know about the basics of electrical reforms. As an expert pointed out, minimising wastage and saving the climate are alien concepts for most.

“The problem of propagating non-thermal and climate-friendly energy in our state is that we need energy immediately and thermal power is the best option,” said Sujoy Basu, a retired professor of Jadavpur University who attended the meeting.

Mitra said in the meeting that March 2011 has been set as the deadline for providing electricity to all corners of the state. And thermal energy will account for most of the additional power requirement.

What is the way out then? “Consumers must be made aware that power is precious and they have a responsibility to conserve it,” says Basu.

But power conservation is a tall order when government buildings across the state are guilty of wasting a lot of energy. “Writers’ Buildings is one of the worst state secretariats in the country in terms of power utilisation,” said S.K. Kundu, who recently retired as the chief engineer (electrical) of the public works department that maintains Writers’.