A narrative of the project
Edutainment project on Energy Efficiency and Environment
2002-2005
Summary :-Energy conservation is one of the prime aspects of Energy Security. Towards this objective, innovative use of audio-visual media, namely Radio and TV serials, providing edutainment to youth was the high-point of PCRA’s conservation project during 2002-2005. Outreaching youth for attitude building and familiarizing them with total energy solutions were the KPA. Capturing highly scientific and technical aspects in entertaining manner was the challenge. The campaign received enormous response, nearly 3000 messages per week. In 3 years, over 2000 schools and 25 Govt. Deptt. participated.
The Radio Serial named BBKB (August 2002 to August 2006 174 episodes) ran on 67 AIR stations in 6 languages. TV serial KKMBD (May 2003 to August 2006, 143 episodes ) also had few episodes in Tamil and Asamiya. A supportive TV serial Sanrakshan Yog had work efficiency enunciated in Bhagvadgeeta as its anchor-theme. All this has generated a clip bank with nearly 1500 audio-video clips on conservation aspects which is a rich asset. The project has sensitized and activated millions of youth into energy conservation and environment protection.
Sustainability – The programs continued well beyond the tenure of the nominee, upto August 2006. It has paved way to launch a 2nd media project from current year with triple the budget (from 12 crores to 40 crores).
(a) Background (What led to the Initiative / Project) :- PCRA (Petrolium Conservation Research Association) under the Ministry of Petroleum is established since 1976 and carries out programs of energy audit, research and mass awareness. It is known for organising Oil Conservation Fortnight in January every year. It employees engineers from oil sector on deputation. Average staff distribution is 30 officers at head office, 5 each at four regional offices and one each at 30 field offices in major cities. Total budget for 2001-2002 was 2116 lakhs.
On joining as head of PCRA (Petroleum Conservation Research Association) in July 2002, Smt. Leena Mehendale worked to revamp it. She focussed on Innovation, System change, Training and Team building. A cyclic relationship was established in which Mass awareness, Energy Audits, Research and T/T (Training and Team-building) have each provided, input and feed-back to the other three.
This nomination is for the innovative media campaign.
Energy conservation has come to be regarded as the latest and more effective aspect of energy management and security. It goes to the credit of Smt Mehendale to realize that an effective media campaign backed up by actual tips, technological information and statistical data can be very effective way to make people conscious of their role and contribution. Such technological material was already available with PCRA from its core programs of energy audits, research, driver and depot training and the newly initiated program of urban energy management.
(b) Objectives/ Aims :- Plan a 3 year project,
(i) To convert people’s awareness on energy conservation into conscious contribution towards energy efficiency.
(ii) To inculcate this as an attitude.
(iii) To equip them with technical information and skills needed for practicing.
(c) Innovation:-
It was the first effort of this nature and scale.
• Our country has 50 % youth population, hence to involve and include school and college children in media campaign and to make them the torchbearers for energy efficiency.
• Science and Technology are presented as entertainment on TV and Radio. Arousing curiosity and creating knowledge-hunger was the key.
• Energy Conservation is projected as an ATTITUDE.
• It took inputs from CORE activities of PCRA namely, Energy Audits, Research, Urban energy management programmes.
(c) Strategies adopted
• With Energy Efficiency and Environment as theme,
i) Telecast a weekly TV Serial
ii) A weekly AIR Serial and
iii) Other supporting activities.
• Weave in Vocational skill building as it leads to better maintenance practices that lead to energy efficiency.
• Involve the youth by arousing curiosity, and showing what they can do.
• Use CORE activities of PCRA as inputs.
• Highlight PCRA’s thrust on Urban Energy Management
• Underline the philosophy
• Brainstorm within PCRA., Ministry officials, DAVP, DD, AIR, Media persons to finalize details of implementation
• Enlist support from other Ministries. Oil PSUs, Power PSUs
• Measure outcome.
Period of the Project Initiative / Implementation: -
3 years Aug 2002 to Aug 2005.
(f) Role and involvement of the nominee in the Initiative:- The nominee was the head of PCRA. Entire project was under her leadership. She initiated all the strategies and guided the implementation. She had a complete role in this successful project.
(a) Positive Outcomes and sustainability : -
a. The serials received excellent response -- nearly 3000 weekly messages -- E-mail, letters and SMS -- from students, teachers, housewives, industrialists, resident societies and NGOs explaining their own small efforts in energy conservation.
b. The program of such educative nature is perhaps the only program that ran successfully for more than 3 years on a national channel. These programs are meant to give results in the long run.
c. Many viewers took inspiration and started efforts. Annexure II is print out of one such example.
d. Nearly 5000 schools were approached, 2500 prepared and 300 participated. Their teachers, students and parents were all involved in preparing skits and rehearsing and the message of conservation will remain a life-long effect.
e. TRP rating for TV program reached upto 9 in specific Hindi belts, while the average TRP was 4.5
f. The Project sustained itself up to August 2006 even after the transfer to the nominee in October, 2005.
g. This initiative and its success has led PCRA to undertake another Rs.30 crore project for mass awareness for energy conservation.
Philosophy of the programs
• Energy Conservation must be addressed in its totality as it encompasses optimization of material, water, human resources. Improving overall efficiency is conservation.
• Attitudinal change is a long process but it starts with a click when we can make people think.
• Youth will respond positively if they are told that they can change the world for better.
• Skill building leads to better maintenance and eventually to better conservation.
• By creating familiarity with energy & environment sector, we can make children our ambassador for conservation.
• Continuous exposure to various aspects of conservation is needed for long term effectiveness. Hence a weekly series.
The challenge was to produce a serial with scintific topics in entertaining manner. The answer was to select themes to arouse curiosity.
From the vast range of energy audits done by PCRA officers, generic stories were selected. Development of Oil sector, Power sector, alternative energy sector provided another range. Innovative programs implemented by PCRA for urban energy management were also captured.
5 minute clips were shot which explained such themes as
• Steam traps
• Belts
• Driver’s training. -- how to get best KMPL
• Ethanol blending
• Efficiency in pumps
• Energy efficiency in Glass industry,
• Coal bed methane
• Themes of vocational skills
• Handling coal ash
• Community cooking
• Grease traps
Following PCRA activities were also captured.
• solid waste management – segregation of wet kitchen waste and bio-degrading within the residential colony and saving sizeable transportation fuel.
• Community washing. Loaning a launderette to handicapped girls for operating in urban ladies hotels which would conserve water and in turn energy.
• Providing reverse time counters at the traffic junctions thus promoting drivers to stop car engine at red light.
• PCRA Research findings of how the traffic congestion at Delhi Railway Station leads to excessive fuel consumption
• Fuel wastage by defective speed breakers and their correction.
• Promotion of CFL lamps.
Programme Structuere(I) Radio Programme - " Boond Boond ki Baat" :
Campaign started with a weekly Radio Serial named " Boond Boond ki Baat" which ran in prime hours of Monday morning 9.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. It entwined Half hour tips and messages, do's and donts for fuel conservation in vehicles and drew tremendous response from janta commuting to office. Programe revolves around four characters who talk about the various conservation and environment related issues in a drama form in simple and entertaining manner. The first 16 episodes were compiled into a book which also received a favorable response from the readers as the book presents highly technicale matters in simple language and entertaining format for school children. Many schools enacted them for their environment day celebrations. The lead role PETRO UNCLE became a popular house- hold name.
(II) TV program – “Khel Khel Mein Badlo Duniya”
The title itself reflects that the program was meant to bring about attitudinal change and to sensitize each household towards efficient energy utilization through education and entertainment combined. It was in a quiz form wherein 2 school groups of 4 participants each competed. These schools were chosen from all over the country. Over 3 years, nerarly 5000 schools were invited. It was packaged in 5 different segments.
“Kuchh Kar Dikhana Hei” had performances by two participating teams, in the form of skit, mimicry, dance-drama etc. on the topics of energy conservation, petroleum products, electricity, water, wild life, environment protection, ecology, social issues of national concern etc.
Second segment “Duniya Badalne Ki Baat” was meant to motivate and inspire present generation by the works of real time stories of individuals or organizations and to emphasize that they can change the world. It also had vocation-based clips, giving hands-on demo. It was targeted at self trained workers, to upgrade their skills.
“Aakdein Bolte Hein” dealt with statistical facts & figures on natural resources & social issues, depicted in the form of graph / chart etc. It involved the viewers to grasp interesting statistics relating to energy conservation.
“Ek Chhoti Si Baat” was a conservation message delivered by a celebrity or newsreading on latest developments of hydrocarbon sector.
Finally, “Aaj Ka Sawal” was sponsored by different ministries. It put questions to the viewers on the schemes of national importance of those departments and 13 randomly selected winners were given cash awards.
Convergence with ministries, oil and power PSUs:-- PCRA convincingly displayed the importance and success of its approach and a number of Ministries / Departments of Govt. of India and Oil and Power sector PSUs have extended their association with it through sponsorship.
Following support programs brought value addition
a. Scheme of “PCRA page” in 30 children magazines.
Another T.V. serial named “Sanrakshan Yog” focussing on work efficiency for conservation, based on Bhagwatgeeta message of "योगः कर्मसु कौशलम्"
b. Conservation rallies for women driving 2 wheelers in major cities.
c. PCRA monthly Hindi journal संरक्षण चेतना
d. Farmers -- hildren interaction on awareness regarding efficiency of pumps & tractors.
All these efforts paid rich dividends.The impact assessment was done through, a) AIR Report
b) TRP from DD
c) Independent Survey d) Internal
a) AIR estimated the listeners at 336 lakhs of which 20% valued it as very good and 36% found very useful.
b) TRP reporting for TV Program soared upto 9 in Hindi belt. On average it was between 4 and 5.
c) Independent Survey by ORG-MARG reported it to be useful.
PCRA’s internal assessment was that response was overwhelming. PCRA received 105,000 mails for KKMBD and 50,000 for BBKB
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