DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Bangladesh joins league of nations that work on Daylight Saving Time

TIMES VIEW



We should follow suit


Our neighbour, Bangladesh, has just bought some more time. In an effort to make the most of summer sunshine, Bangladesh advanced its clocks by an hour last week. In doing so, it has joined a whole host of countries that squeeze in an extra hour or more during summer. Its an example that India could consider emulating.
The concept of Daylight Saving Time (DST) is not entirely a modern one. Ancient civilisations are known to have adjusted their daily schedules to the changing course of the sun through seasons . It was a flexible system that was revised as and when necessary . The Roman water clock is a good example of this practical arrangement. In the early 20th century, the concept gained wide acceptance, and more countries especially those starved of sunshine adopted it. Today, most developed countries operate on two clocks.
The basic idea behind advancing clocks in spring and summer is to elongate the day, thus enhancing productivity, and allowing for people to soak in the sun after hours. In the days of yore it meant that farmers had more hours to till their fields. In the modern, industrialised world, the stakes are higher. The current climate change threat has brought home the need to conserve energy like never before . The amount of energy that goes into sustaining operations in an organisations workday air conditioning and lighting, for instance is mindboggling . By adopting DST, organisations are well placed to cut energy costs.
Critics would argue that in a country like India, where sunshine is abundant, adopting DST is a pointless exercise. But precisely because sunshine is abundant, we should make the most of it. If all it takes to being eco-friendly and maximising our productivity while being in tune with nature is to reset our clocks by one hour with changing seasons, theres no reason not to do it. Change is always viewed with scepticism initially. But its the only constant in evolution.

COUNTER VIEW



Its just tokenism



Ratna Goswami


Bangladeshis are expected to start and end their day an hour earlier everyday, thanks to their countrys switch to Daylight Saving Time (DST) as a summertime powersaving measure. Its estimated that advancing the clock will help save electricity, said to fall woefully short of peak hour demand. Now, good intentions are one thing, getting results quite another when policymakers resort to tokenism in the name of energy conservation . So, India neednt ape its neighbour. The idea makes sense in countries in the northern hemisphere where sunlight is at a premium and the seasons can be told apart. Sunshine isnt exactly a scarce commodity in tropical countries. Theres enough of it year round in India to not warrant giving time a tweak.
India being a geographical behemoth, adopting DST will mean creating two time zones. Not only would more than a billion confused people have to adapt to a system whose utility isnt a given, it would also be costly in terms of the changes forced on businesses . Whether its transportation, IT-BPO , media or the medical profession, strategies and schedules will need reworking, adding to the general chaos. Taking all this trouble wont make sense when India has a system that functions pretty well as it is. More, when experts estimate the energy-saving dividends to be modest.
Again, lifestyles cant be altered by fiat. Take the problematic idea of getting people to shop during the day. In societies the world over, increasing numbers of men and women work. After-sunset shopping is a growing trend in India not because its a fad but because its sprung organically from the rhythms of modern life. Complaints of inconvenience to the public and traders are already audible in post-DST Bangladesh. Finally, the effective way to promote energy conservation is to have the political will to push green technologies . For example, building designs arent always energy-efficient , resulting in daylong use of artificial lights in countless offices. Switching to DST wont address such a problem ; switching to green buildings will.