Shimla to be first solar city in north India
SMC to replace electric streetlights with solar energy-powered ones in all 25 wards
The queen of hills has embarked on a journey to become an environmentally sustainable city to reduce dependency on conventional energy. The Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) has announced ambitious plans to make town a ‘solar city,’ replacing the usual electricpower streetlights with solar energy-powered ones in all the 25 wards.
The ministry of new and renewal energy has given its approval to the SMC’s solar city project. The project is based on reducing the dependency on conventional energy by using the solar energy. Under this project, first solar-powered streetlights will be installed in the all the wards.
The main purpose of setting up solar energy-powered streetlights is to reduce consumption of the conventional energy and take advantage of the abundant solar energy. Other than being beneficial for the environment, the solar-powered streetlights will also help the SMC to reduce its inflated electricity bills.
The ministry has given its approval for setting up 1,000 streetlights across the town. “With the setting up of the solar
THE MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWAL ENERGY HAS GIVEN ITS APPROVAL TO THE SMC’S SOLAR CITY PROJECT
powered streetlights, the energy consumption in the town will be reduced by 10-15%,” said an SMC official.
The solar-powered streetlight project has been conceptualised by the SMC and the Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA), in association with union ministry of new renewable energy.
“With the implementation of the plan, the Shimla town will become the first solar town in north India. Solar power is the sustainable and viable energy for both cities and remote areas in the state. It will also helpful to save the environment and reduce electricity crisis in the country,” said SMC deputy mayor Tikender Panwar, who is also instrumental in this project.
“The ministry has given its final approval for the SMC master plan of Rs 5 crore. The ministry of new and renewal energy would bear 90% of the sanctioned amount and the remaining would be borne by the SMC and state government. As part of the master plan, in initial stage, 1,000 solar-powered streetlights will be installed in all wards. Solar lanterns and solar homes will be planned in second and third stage respectively,” he said.
Panwar said that to give final touch to the approved plan, along with HIMURJA officials, he will visit at ministry office in New Delhi on Friday, to chalk out implementation plan with the ministry officials.
Hopefully, within next month or two, the work on the project will be started and very soon the streetlights in the town would be operated on solar energy, he added.