E8: Opinion: How can “Daylight Saving Time” help India?
The first surprise that Europe had in store was the sky. The sky was blue and clear. But this wasn’t the surprise. My flight was scheduled to land at 20:00 Central European Time (CET). By the time I came out of the airport, it was 20:30 CET. And above is the first picture I took after I got out. Surprising fact being that the sun was still out and there were no signs of a sunset.
While I was skeptical of the ‘Daylight Saving Time(DST)’ concept on my arrival, it was only when I observed some practices, it started to make sense.
While the concept being directly lifted and implemented in India would be useless and stupid, a modified version could be pretty useful. India had used this back during the British Raj and the wars against China and Pakistan.
In my city of Hyderabad, the sun usually rises between 6–7 AM and sets between 6–7 PM. We usually get around 12 hours of daylight. What would happen if we were to reset our clocks such that the sun rises between 8–9 AM and sets between 8–9 PM.
The following makes sense to me for three reasons:
- Productive use of daylight: Our day starts at ~6:30 AM but our work hours usually start from 9:30–11:30 AM. An average Indian wakes up at 7:53 AM according to a report. So, it would be ideal for the sun to rise at 8 AM. The 1.5 hours of sunlight is not wasted. By the time work ends, a person would still have around 2.5 hours of active time that can be effectively used on physical activities or other leisure activities like socializing or attending events. Studies show evening workouts are much better than morning workouts. This may still be debatable.
- Energy Savings: The DST initially was introduced to reduce artificial lighting during WWII to save fuel. If we were to examine our daily power usage, we would have to switch on our artificial lighting from 6 PM on-wards until the time we sleep. However, if we were to avoid this by letting the sun set at 8:30 PM, we save energy by consuming energy for lesser time. Although the load of artificial lighting on energy needs is debatable. But a few heavy appliances may not be switched on for lesser time.
- Crime Rates: Petty crimes are pretty common under the shade of darkness. Women safety is also a concern during the evening and night. If women were to return homes after work during the time sun is out, a percentage of incidents can be reduced. Although the overall problem revolves more around systemic cultural issues, this step can somewhat improve the safety for women. Petty crimes can also be avoided.
While the concept looks good. There are still loopholes. India despite being spread over multiple longitudes follows a single time zone. The time gap between Ahmedabad and Guwahati won’t let everyone get the benefits of the concept. Adjusting to the time shift will also remain crucial. If the sun were to rise at 8 AM suddenly, maybe people would just wake up at 10 AM to compensate to their body clocks. Therefore, the idea is still conceptual and needs validation in pilot programs.
Sundays with DSK
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