Some parts of Mumbai get away with home delivery

Mumbai: Most Mumbaikars have been slipping under halfclosed shutters to make purchases or scour options en route to the workplace. The indefinite bandh over local body tax (LBT) has left most people tense, save a lucky few who continue to receive home delivery from their friendly neighbourhood grocer.
   A specialized store in Tardeo that stocks cheese and olives downed its shutters but dispatched groceries to regular customers. "We generally order provisions, and things are no different through the strike," said a resident who received cornflakes and milk at home on Wednesday. The store owner confirmed he was doing a semblance of business but declined to say if he was forced to close owing to pressure from the local association.
   Residents of Bandra Reclamation are also being served by their grocer whose shutters are rolled down in case mobs of protesters sweep the locality. "We called his number to find out if the store was open and discovered he was still offering home delivery," said a relieved resident.
   Areas where traders' associations have a strong presence are not so fortunate. Elsewhere in Bandra, a big retail store that is part of a chain closed shop even though large retailers affiliated to the Retailers Association of India (RAI) have not joined the agitation. In Dadar, dairy farms which are officially exempt from the bandh herded customers wanting milk to the back door.
   With the weekend coming up, some Mumbaikars were anxious if wine shops would be open. Zeus Zend of Peekay Wines said, "Liquor outlets are not part of the LBT agitation. As everything else is closed, many will sit at home and nurse a drink during this dull weekend."

WE PROTEST, BUT... Some shops have downed shutters but are operating slyly in fear of attacks from protestors

Suburbs’ power-saver plan soon in island city

   An electricity-saving incentive which helped suburban consumers reduce bills and enabled power suppliers to cut consumption, will soon be available to consumers in the island city. By the end of May, BEST will offer discounts on energy-efficient gadgets to over 10 lakh consumers, encouraging them to replace their old gadgets and cut power demand.
   The initiative was adopted in 2007 by Reliance Infrastructure and in 2009 by Tata Power, on a directive from the Maharashtra State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC). It instructed all power suppliers to enter into tie-ups with manufacturers and offer energy-saving gadgets at discounted prices to consumers. This, the MERC said, would help consumers keep their power bills at affordable levels despite rising tariffs and help suppliers check power demand.
   BEST general manager Omprakash Gupta said BEST will soon introduce schemes enabling consumers to replace old tubelights, ACs and fans with energy-efficient ones. "We have an initial target of around 20,000 homes and 5,000 offices but the final savings will depend upon the type of gadgets currently in use," he said. Asked about the delay in implementing the MERC directive, he said it took nearly three years to conduct a survey to understand which areas and gadgets needed replacement in the island city. "We finished the survey in 2011, then held an awareness campaign," he said.
   Parel resident Alankar Bhat said he was looking forward to the scheme, adding, "I hope maintenance of gadgets will be free for a few initial years." Borivli resident Anagha Tambe, who availed the scheme offered by her power supplier, said replacement of old gadgets with fivestar models in January this year made a difference to her monthly power consumption and bill. "The amount I invested in these gadgets is on the higher side despite the subsidy, but I hope I will recover it in two years due to reduced power bills," said Tambe. However, another consumer, Vijaya Kavishwar said, "Rising tariffs may delay my break-even period more than I anticipated."
   Both Reliance Infrastructure and Tata Power provide star-rated refrigerators and ACs at attractive prices to consumers. "The initiative helped us save approximately 48.89 million units of electricity till date, and reduce 39,500 tonnes of carbon footprint," said R-Infra sources. "By replacing old ceiling fans, ACs and refrigerators, Tata Power saved 7 million units. It saved another 30 million units by adopting advanced load-shifting and thermal storage incentive," said a TPC source. A power expert said Mumbai consumed around 42 to 45 million units daily and only such measures could control consumption.