PANAJI
Minister of Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Govind Gawade, launched Oil & Gas conservation month, which will go on from January 15 to February 15 in the state. During this month, oil marketing companies (OMCs) like Indian Oil Corporation, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) will undertake a number of activities to make bus drivers, housewives and industrial consumers aware of ways to save fuel.
Speaking at the launch, Gawade said, “India is the third largest consumer of oil in the world. Being one of the fastest growing economies, our demand of oil and gas is growing rapidly. Due to this, we are heavily dependent on the import of crude oil. This makes conservation of petroleum extremely crucial from India’s viewpoint. I also think that the conservation of fuel is a collective responsibility.”
A batch of 25 employees of Kadamba Transport Corporation (KTC), which mostly included drivers and conductors also attended the launch of Oil & Gas conservation month. Officials of IOC, BPCL and HPCL gave short presentations to make people aware of smart ways to reduce the consumption of fuel.
Prateek Srivastava, sales officer of LPG for Goa, said, “If you cook rice in a pressure cooker, you can save 20% of gas compared to cooking it in an open utensil. It’s always advisable to turn the flame low once food has come to a boil. Even at a low flame, you can maintain high temperature after the boil.”
Divyansh Raghuvanshi, sales officer, BPCL, said, “You can get upto 40% extra mileage if you drive your two-wheeler or car in the speed limit of 45-55 kmph rather than driving at 80 kmph. Moreover, driving your vehicle at an incorrect gear can cost you upto 20% of your fuel.”
Roland Martins, co-ordinator, GOACAN, was also present during the launch. Martins said, “A lot of people ask me why oil marketing companies are advising everyone to cut fuel consumption because it is their business to sell fuel. However, I say that it is everyone’s responsibility to conserve petroleum.”
