Class VII girl raises funds for free LEDs

NEW DELHI: Meera Vashisht, an Indian-origin girl living in the US, has raised around Rs 1.4 lakh through crowdfunding to distribute LED bulbs to underprivileged sections in India.
Vashisht, who learnt about India’s ‘Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for all’ (UJALA) programme while working on her 7th class science project, collected USD 2,079.51 with the help of her parents and reached out to 500 people in her vicinity in Houston, Texas (US), the power ministry said.She purchased LED bulbs from the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), the implementing agency for UJALA, and distributed them to residents of JJ clusters in Keshavpuram in New Delhi on Wednesday, it added.
Six hundred families will benefit from 1,800 LED bulbs to be provided under the UJALA scheme from the funds collected by Vashisht. “LED bulbs use less than half the energy of an incandescent bulb and runs for over 7-8 years. I hope to inspire young minds across the globe for working towards energy efficiency,” she said.
Vashisht also believes that her effort will result in lighting up 46 houses for one year, reducing electricity bills by Rs 2,500 and most importantly there will be significant reduction in CO2 emissions every year, the Ministry said.