Urja Utsav 2007: State-level BURDies soar high

This year’s state-level Urja Utsav for GEDA’s Bal Urja Rakshak Dal (BURD) Programme was held in Palitana with much celebration on February 24-25, 2007 and organized by the Kalyan Pradeshik Lok Vigyan Kendra, Bhavnagar, with financial support by GEDA. The festivities took off in the afternoon of the 24th with a colourful March Past by Urja Rakshaks from every district of the state and hoisting of the special BURD Flag at the Palitana High School play ground. The Utsav was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Shri Rajendrasinh Rana, MP, Bhavnagar district, who also led the Pledge-taking for Wise Energy Use. Shri Mansukhbhai Mandavia, MLA, Palitana, inaugurated the vast Exhibition that highlighted the work done under the BURD Programme in every district of the state by the Urja Rakshaks under the guidance of the Urja Agevans and Urja Sanchalaks. Guests of Honour on the occasion were Shri G M Acharya, Director, GEDA, Prof. Salim Chaniwala, Principal, SVNIT, Surat, Shri Mahendrasinhji Sarvaiya, Chairman, Palitana Education Society, Palitana, and Shri Pranvinbhai Gadhvi, President, Palitana Nagarpalika.

An Activity-filled Utsav

Participants in Urja Utsav 2007 were the 1600 district-level winners from the 3000 secondary and primary schools which participated in the various competitions held in each district. They were accompanied by more than 500 Urja Agevans (teachers). On the inaugural evening, after the March Past, there was film shows on Energy for the participating children while there was an Interactive Session for the Agevans which was addressed by well-known educationist, Shri Gijubhai Bharad. Children could also visit the different stalls in the exhibition that exhibited their own work as well as that of other BURDies. The day ended with an interesting cultural evening that featured Urja Bhavai, Mono-acting, and specially composed songs on energy.

The Exhibition, which was open on both days, displayed the models of energy-savers made by the BURDs, Posters, Poems and Stories on Energy written by children, and other work related to the 8-Point Programme that the BURDies followed throughout the year. In addition they were stalls by GEDA (display of MREDU, the Energy Mobile Demonstration Van), Suzlon (models of Windmills and informative Posters profiling their projects), Star Energy Systems (live models of Natural Water Coolers, Solar Cookers), Perfect Solar Agency (live models of Solar heaters and cookers), Rural Engineering School (live models of Water-pumping windmills, Solar lights and Cookers), NRG Technologies (Solar Water Heaters), Unicone (Natural Water Coolers) and KVIC (Khadi products).

There was also a popular Games Corner with seven have-fun-while-you-learn games – Energy Gazing, Eco Friend, Hum Honge Kamyaab, Musical Chairs, Agni Suraksha, Urja no Chupo Rustom, Energy Buzz. More than 1000 children participated in each game.
 

Competitions: In the Conservation Race everyone wins!

The seven state-level Competitions were held on the second day. There was a keen competitive sense with teams backing their members with gusto. There were 800 competitors from 26 districts of the state. The four BURD competitions were Energy Audit Study, Neighbourhood Energy Study, Urja Seva, and My BURD Activity. Three competitions were organized for children from Primary Schools. These were Elocution, Energy Quiz and Poster Design. GEDA congratulates the winners. (Names listed below)

Sheth R R J High School, Navsari, was declared the Best School for Outstanding Performance in the Stae Urja Utsav. They were the toppers finding an entry in all state-level completions by their noteworthy performance at the district level. They towered above1500 schools who had participated in the BURD programme by bagging 4 prizes at the State-level. They bagged the Suzlon-sponsored Cash Prize of Rs. 25,000.

The Closing Ceremony of the Utsav was held on February 25, when the winners were declared and given their prizes. The Chief Guest was Shri Harshadbhai Brahmbhatt, Vice-President, Reliance Communications, Gandhinagar, while Dr A M Prabhakar, Advisor, GUJCOST, presided over the function, and Smt. Nandini Gandhi, Manager, Mass Communications, GEDA, was the Guest of Honour. The BURD Programme is one of the most successful initiatives of GEDA that looks at sensitizing children to the global need for Wise Energy Use through awareness generation of energy conservation measures and control of power thefts. This year, the BURD Programme has enrolled more than 3000 schools all over the state, with a force of 40,000 school children.

The BURD programme, which was initiated in 2003-04 with a membership of 1000 schools, has set an ambitious goal to reach 50,000 children and almost 2000 schools in 2007-08. This year the emphasis will shift from competitions to sustained efforts to save energy. Every Urja Rakshak Dal will do an Energy Audit in their School through an analysis of the School’s energy bills over the past year and undertake a survey of the energy used, device-wise, in each classroom and school facility. A saving plan will be drafted and implemented in the school based on this plan. The results of the energy saving effort will be closely monitored and presented by the School at the next Urja Utsav. The school notching the highest saving in electrical energy consumption in the district will be rewarded with a retrofit fund proportionate to the electrical units saved. Additional incentives such as funds to set up an ‘energy measurement laboratory’ will be awarded to the five schools notching the highest savings at the state-level through the efforts of the Urja Rakshaks.

Attractive Awards to match performance will also be given in the Urja Sewa, Energy Study and Energy Conservation Sensitization activities at the District and state-level. An experimental initiative for junior Urja Rakshaks will also be launched in select primary schools.

BURdies State Winners

State Winners for Primary Schools