Haryana Electricity Department and CFL's

July 23 the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to collect old unbroken burnt/used compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) incandescent bulbs and tube lights for proper disposal so that these are not harmful to the society and environment.A spokesman of the Nigam said here today that the DHBVN has launched an incentive scheme for collection of old burnt/used but unbroken lighting equipment. Under the scheme, the DHBVN would give one CFL of 15 watt free of cost against deposition of either 10 unbroken burnt CFLs or five unbroken burnt tube lights or five unburnt/working incandescent bulbs of power rating above 25 watt or 20 burnt unbroken incandescent bulbs or 15 lighting appliances of combination of these. The consumers shall have to bring the unbroken old lighting equipment properly packed in paper for the exchange, to avoid breakage during transit, to any sub divisional office or customer care centre of the Nigam. A consumer can also deposit one equipment at one time, but he would be given free CFL on depositing required number of equipments. The consumer will be given receipt in lieu of depositing the old lighting equipments. He should preserve the receipt as lucky draws would be held in each operation circle on Energy Conservation Day. The DHBVN would store the old burnt lighting appliances in steel drums of adequate size at Nigam's stores for proper disposal. The DHBVN would prefer recycling of CFLs as per recommendations of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).The spokesman said that the DHBVN was promoting use of energy efficient lighting appliances in order to minimize load on its distribution system during the peak load hours in the evening and morning compelling imposition of restrictions in power supply. Star rated CFL consumes only up to 25 per cent of electricity as compared to conventional incandescent bulb and has 10 times longer life.He said that mercury contributed in the environment by way of burning coal for generation of the extra electricity consumed by conventional yellow bulbs is much more than it is used in CFLs. However, DHBVN is concerned even to the small quantity of mercury that could go in the environment if CFLs go in land fills and water.