The city’s Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary will soon go solar. Following in the footsteps of Bharatpur’s Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary and others, the Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary is set to tap unconventional energy sources for lighting.
The UT Science and Technology Department has chalked out a plan to set free the sanctuary from the usage of conventional energy sources gradually. To begin with, the rest houses of Nepali and Kansal Forest are proposed to run on solar power.The Department has planned to install 5 kwp solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants atop the Kansal rest house which is surrounded with beautiful flower beds and grassy lawns in the forest area. The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has already given its nod to UT’s proposal.
As per the proposal mooted under ambitious ‘model solar city” project, the SPV power plant will light up the Kansal rest house in the forest area. This SPV power plant will be with battery bank, which stores electricity produced during Sunlight. like other SPV power plants installed in Chandigarh, this would also be interactive with the grid system and the extra power supply would be transferred to the main grid system of the city.
While taking to The Pioneer, Santosh Kumar, Director, UT Science and Technology Department said, “The Department would set up a solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant of 5 KWp (Kilowatts-peak) at Kansal Guest house in Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. This would be the first green initiative in the forest area and more such steps would be taken in the future.”
He said, “The Department has planned to install more SPV power plants in the Sanctuary for lighting with an aim to tap vast solar energy potential. The move is also aimed at conserving the forest area by reducing carbon footprints.” “Besides, 5 KWp SPV power plant would be commissioned at Daria forest guest house. The tender for setting up this SPV power plant has already been floated,” he added.
The city’s Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary spreading over an area of nearly 25 sq km is a home to large number of animals, birds and mammals species. There are around 150 small and large water bodies in the Sanctuary.
The resident mammalian species in the forest area are sambar, spotted deer (chital), pangolin (anteater), wildboar, jackal, small Indian civet, jungle cat, porcupine, Hanuman langur, rhesus monkey, Indian hare, common mongoose, Chital and three- striped palm squirrel. And, prominent among the varieties of birds are peacock, red jungle fowl, grey partridge, cuckoos, night jars, golden oriole, kingfisher, swifts, hoopoes, hornbill, barbets, woodpeckers, rollers, barn owls, parrots, doves, jacanas, plovers, coots, hawks, geese, swan, ducks, grebes etc. There are over 150 varieties of birds.
The varieties of reptiles including snakes like cobra, rat snake, Common krait, Russell’s viper, Indian python and common monitor (Gho), freshwater turtle also inhibits the Sanctuary. Notably, the ambitious project of developing Chandigarh as a ‘model solar city’ was formally launched by Union Minister MNRE Farooq Abdullah this month.
The SPV power plant projects are being executed by CREST (Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science & Technology Promotion Society) here. And, at present 1860 KWp Solar Photovoltaic Systems at 12 different Government buildings are under installation stage and likely to be completed within two-three months.On fast track to develop Chandigarh into a ‘solar city’, the Department has proposed to include major Government buildings and tourist spots here under the ‘model solar city’ project.