India's capital city, New Delhi, is set to implement fuel-saving measures starting Monday, including work-from-home days for municipal employees, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for public cooperation to lessen the economic effects of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
New Delhi becomes the first Indian city to enforce an energy-saving initiative in the nation of 1.4 billion people, amid a global energy crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East. The 90-day campaign, announced by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday, encompasses increased use of public transport, reduced petrol quotas for officials, adjusted working hours for government offices, and two work-from-home days for local staff.
The Delhi government will also advise the private sector to adopt similar remote work arrangements, as Gupta appeals to the capital's 35 million residents to participate. "I urge the people of Delhi to adopt work-from-home wherever possible, observe one day a week as 'No Vehicle Day,' prioritize public transport, and make virtual meetings a part of their work style," she said.
Earlier this week, Modi urged Indians to conserve fuel and gas, revive working from home, and limit foreign travel as part of austerity measures reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic. "The government is continuously trying to ensure that these adverse circumstances have the least possible impact on ordinary citizens. But at such a time, the country greatly needs the power of public participation," he said on Monday. "We must unite so that no crisis can hinder our progress and development."
India, the world's third-largest oil importer, relies heavily on energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that was effectively blocked following US-Israeli attacks on Iran that began on February 28. The country raised diesel and gasoline prices by over 3 percent on Friday, the first increase in four years, after keeping prices stable for around two months despite Brent crude's cost spiking since the war began.
It has also increased prices of liquefied petroleum gas, a primary cooking fuel in India, after supply disruptions caused major shortages just weeks after the conflict erupted. The global shortage in gas and fuel supply is likely to affect India "very badly," said Professor Arun Kumar, a development economist, as India imports some 85 percent of its crude needs and around 55 percent of its gas.
The steps the Indian government is taking now "should have been taken much earlier" and "more steps need to be taken," he added. Governments in many Asian countries dependent on oil imports have implemented energy-saving measures to mitigate the ongoing supply crisis, including returning to online-based work to reduce fuel consumption.
"If we keep saying 'no, no, everything is fine,' tomorrow will just hit us," Kumar told Arab News on Friday, adding that even if the Strait of Hormuz were to open, it would take months for supply to be restored. "So that's what the government (has been) doing, saying there's no problem, and we have enough stocks … They did not take the steps that were necessary."
For Tausif Rahman, who heads a Delhi-based company, the government's recent austerity appeal came as a surprise. "Most of the corporate world started believing that what is settling down now, and if anything was supposed to be done, it should have been done earlier, when the war was at its peak," he told Arab News. "What we hear from the authorities (is) that we are getting the oil, we are having a very good relationship with Iran, our tankers are passing by the Strait of Hormuz. So that's why it's surprising that if everything is going well, then why is WFH required from the corporate?"
