Oil conservation week is celebrated every year, from 4th of January to the 10th of January, by the people worldwide in order to increase the awareness all across the world regarding to the importance of conservation of the petroleum products. The celebration for the oil conservation goes whole week by the contribution of PCRA (Petroleum Conservation Research Association) as well as oil industries under the leadership of Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry.
It was first started in the year 1991. From then, it is being celebrated every year to encourage people of the entire country as well as to increase the effectiveness of the campaign of oil conservation.
Oil Conservation Week 2019 was celebrated from Friday, 04th January 2019 to Thursday, 10th January 2019.
Various seminars and discussions were held to spread the awareness on Oil and Gas Conservation. ONGC has organised various awareness campaigns to spread the importance of oil and natural gas and importance of switching to a clean fuel. This campaign also included various competitions like essay writing, speech, quiz show, slogan competition etc to make children aware about the importance of energy conservation.
PCRA (Petroleum Conservation Research Association) organised the yearly program ‘Saksham 2019’ which is a month long awareness drive on fuel conservation and environment protection. The title for this year program was same as last year as ‘SArakshan KSHAMata Mahotsav 2019’ and the tagline was ‘Indhan Sanrakshan ki Jimmedari, Jan Gan ki Bhagidari’.
The program focused to raise awareness among children, youths, gram panchayats, urban societies etc regarding fuel conservation activities. The campaign also included debate competition, group talks, wall painting competitions, cycle rally etc.
Oil conservation week celebration is very necessary in order to raise the awareness about saving petroleum products among people. Petroleum products are being used by the people in many ways such as power plants, industries, fertilizer, commercial, domestic, transport sectors and so many. The demand for both petroleum products and gases are increasing day by day, which is very necessary topic to take for the future safety. That’s why the campaign is renamed as the Oil and Gas Conservation Fortnight instead on only Oil Conservation Fortnight since 2004.
The air pollution has increased a lot because of the petroleum products which has great impact on the Taj Mahal (world heritage monument). Petroleum products used in the industries and vehicles release various pollutants and emissions which affects our living environment.
Variety of activities takes place during the oil conservation week celebration. It is celebrated by the entire oil industry under the guidance of ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The aim of the campaign is distributed among the people through the activities based on the topic about need and importance of conserving both the petroleum products as well as environment protection. Some of the activities which involves the campaign celebration are listed down below:
> The message of the oil conservation campaign is distributed by the door publicity.
> Print media and the electronic media also plays a great role in campaigning the message.
> Variety of training programs are held during the whole week celebration.
> Campaign related literature is distributed all over the country through the technical meetings.
Some of the activities are organized at the state level by the Oil Industry Coordinators under the guidance of Regional Level Coordinators. School children and teachers also involved in performing the activities related to the campaign for which they get award according to their performance.
The oil conservation week celebration is very necessary in order to decrease the ever increasing space between demand and supply of the petroleum products and oil. In order to make more effective the oil conservation campaign all over the country, Government has started the whole week celebration.
During this celebration, a range of steps are taken to promote the petroleum products conservation in the following sectors like industrial, transport, agricultural, domestic and etc. Workers of the different sectors are given training which includes various adopting measures and practices for increasing the fuel efficiency in transport sector, household sector, boilers, furnaces, oil operated equipments and etc. household sector.
Tree plantation has been started in the Mathura (to reduce the effect of sulfurous emissions from the Mathura Refinery) and in the surrounding areas of Taj for the maintenance purpose.
The supply of the natural gas and hydrocracker technology has been started to the Mathura Refinery to decrease the sulphurous emissions from Mathura Refinery.
What Steps have been taken for Oil Conservation
> In order to create the mass awareness towards the need of petroleum products conservation, multi media campaigns are also planned by the authority and oil marketing companies.
> Variety of lubricants has been launched by the oil marketing companies in order to increase the efficiency of petroleum products and save.
> Compressed Natural Gas (CNG, started by the GAIL in the year 1992) technique as a fuel in the transport sector has been implemented by the government of many countries to save the petroleum products and make the environment clean and pollution free. CNG is very safe and sound environment friendly burning fuel which has been implemented to reduce the drain of discharges such as hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, lead, sulphur and etc in the environment in comparison to other fuels. A conversion kit has also been launched to successfully implement CNG in the petrol vehicles.
> A programme is also in the process in order to replace the kerosene use in the textile pigment printing. The objective of this programme is to get 40% kerosene conservation.
> Various effective and result-oriented petroleum products conservation methods have been implemented in the oil sector.
> Supply of petrol without lead (lead free petrol) and low sulphur diesel has been started by the government throughout the Agra in order to save the Taj Mahal by the pollution.
> It is celebrated to raise the awareness among people about the necessity of petroleum conservation.
> Various activities are held to increase the effectiveness of oil conservation campaign.
> To make the environment pollution free by replacing the use of petroleum products with other efficient measures.
> To save the world heritage monuments from the pollution by the by products of the petroleum products.