They exercise to produce power

An initiative by  students with the help of their professors at  Gujarat Vidyapith has just enabled the students to do so. Gujarat Vidyapith set up by Mahatma Gandhi still functions on principles laid down by the Bapu and clean energy being one of them.

The principle called ‘cycle to generate power’ is operational from a custom-made bicycle was installed on the campus and especially in the boys’ hostel.  Every floor of the hostel meant for postgraduate students has three such cycles.

“There is freedom for any student to sit on these cycles and most of them prefer in the morning as it serves the purpose of a workout as well, said one of the students pursuing his postgraduation in journalism, Suresh Halwadi. He said if they cycle for about 30 minutes at a stretch, the power generated gets stored in the inverter which is later used to light the lobbies of the hostel.

The students claim that the light is enough to meet their daily need. If the lights become dim, they pedal the cycle to generate power again. Another student said that the power generated from this cycle of power is not only used for the lights in the lobby but also can be used for sound systems, washing machines and water fountains. “Realising the growing utility of this cycle, it was being extended to some other buildings on the campus. Besides cycles, they were being provided with inverters to store the power generated through work-outs,” said another student Ritesh Shah.

Soon, the girls hostel on the campus also could have one. Initially, many were reluctant to seek the cycles as they were apprehensive that it might be difficult to pedal to produce power.  “The girls have been trying to use it in some places. Tailor-made cycles could be installed in their hostels also,” said another student.