New Delhi (NVI): The government today launched ‘Saksham’, an annual one-month long fuel conservation mega campaign, for creating awareness among the people for adopting tips to save fuel.
The government’s flagship campaign by Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) was launched by MM Kutty, Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. While addressing a gathering here, Kutty emphasized the importance of petroleum products for our country and the dire need for actions leading towards fuel conservation. He stressed upon the importance of programs like ‘Saksham’ wherein general public is involved in various activities.
“Prosperity and higher living standards are driving energy demand in India. By mid-2020s India will be the world’s largest growth market accounting for 25% of global energy demand growth. Today 83% of India’s crude oil requirement is met through import. The earnest efforts for petroleum conservation can help us to reduce the huge import burden. Every drop of oil saved will contribute to saving of foreign exchange,” he said.
We also require to address the issues of climate change. Through this campaign, we intend to deliver a strong message that sustainable future demands conservation of natural resources, Kutty added.
On the occasion, the secretary also flagged-off the publicity vans of PCRA which shall visit different states covering the rural side as well, spreading messages about fuel conservation awareness through interactive audio, video creatives and print displays.
During the campaign, various activities will be carried out like cyclothons, workshops for drivers of commercial vehicles, seminars for housewives, cooks on adopting simple fuel-saving measures, nationwide campaign through radio, TV, digital cinemas, outdoor media, etc.
The secretary also gave away prizes to the winners of essay and quiz competitions for the National Level Competition-2019 which has seen phenomenal record participation of more than 1.48 crore school students from all education boards across the country.
Oil companies and their state-level coordinators were also awarded for their contribution in the field of fuel conservation.
