The Hindu Business Line : Kuttambakkam

THE once obscure panchayat of Kuttambakkam, situated 30 km from Chennai, has shot into national and international prominence for its conspicuous success in implementing progressive and innovative schemes for the social and economic betterment of the people.

Its president, Mr R. Ilango has shown that, even within the limited powers of the panchayats, leadership, popular support, commitment and drive can generate and multiply resources and opportunities.

A Dalit himself, he has none of the inhibitions in treading the Gandhian path illumined by the model of self-reliant villages espoused by one of the most creative thinkers of India, J. C. Kumarappa.

The most important and interesting aspect of the effort put in by him is to demonstrate the relevance of Kumarappa's approach and strategy for village regeneration.

On the invitation of the Governments of the UK and the US, Mr Ilango visited their countries last year and his audiences comprising officials, academics and expatriate Indians were all impressed by his account of his experiments and experiences.

A simple but ingenious method of energy conservation recently adopted in Kuttambakkam promises to usher in a veritable revolution. For its 340 or so street lights, the panchayat has begun using compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) consuming only 18 watts per hour with a life of 10,000 burning hours in the place of the universally preferred tube lights each of which consumes about 60 watts per hour, with a life of only 2,500 burning hours.

Adequate outdoor luminosity is achieved by fitting a reflector designed and produced in a workshop run by the panchayat itself giving employment to about 30 persons.

Its cost of Rs 630 is recovered within the first year from the saving of 70 per cent (or 184 units) from just a single light point at the current Electricity Board tariff of Rs 3.40 per unit.

The panchayat is also rid of the problem of maintenance and turn over of tube lights. It is thus in a position to save more than Rs 2 lakh a year.

Assuming that each of the six lakh or so of panchayats in India have 100 street lights (it is actually more), the way shown by Kuttambakkam has the potential of saving, at the very minimum, Rs.4000 crore a year in their energy bills.

The total units saved work out to 2500 megawatts, which means an "avoided cost" of Rs 10,000 crore in building power stations of that capacity. Imagine the wonders the extra funds can do for boosting development!

B. S. RAGHAVAN

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