A rare unanimity has emerged in India’s political class over the use of new and renewable energy by the panchayats and villages.
According to Sumedha Basu, South Asia Policy co-ordinator, Climate Parliament, “It is encouraging to see that at least two leading parties, the Congress and BJP, have committed to continue and even strengthen the existing situation in the Renewable Energy sector”.
The Congress manifesto promises to launch two new missions — National Mission on Wind Energy and National Mission on Energy Efficiency. The party has also committed to implement the various missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. The BJP will also come out with a responsible and comprehensive ‘National Energy Policy’ encouraging cleaner production, green building and cities and renewable energy would be accorded highest priority.
In addition to the above, parties as AAP, has also committed for ‘Phased shift towards renewable source of energy; promote decentralised renewable energy solutions, such as solar power, bio-gas plants, watermills, and water pumps, to reduce infrastructure and maintenance costs and encourage local ownership.This will be particularly helpful in the states with large numbers of un-electrified households as in Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand, says Basu.
The political commitment towards non renewable by two regional parties of BJD and DMK in the states of Odisha and Tamil Nadu, has also been welcomed by the experts . According to Itishree Kanungo, Odisha Coordinator, Climate Parliament, thousands of villages in the state continue to be without power. However, the manifesto of state BJD highlighting energy efficiency by illumination of panchayat streets and establishment of libraries with Renewable energy, is encouraging. It has also highlighted universal electrification of all villages. “This commitment if implemented will have a long term impact on the policy and its execution”, says Kannungo.
The DMK will also ask the centre to devise a plan and execute it for generating solar energy on government land in villages considering the requirement of respective villages.The Nationalist Congress Party has also stressed on the need of adequate budgetary provisions, including centre, state or even private investment for generation of energy so that the gap between the demand and supply in the energy sector can be lessened.
According to Balwant Joshi, expert on non renewable, who is working on various solutions of clean sustainable energy sources in the country, political will is one of the key requisites for the clean energy sector today.
“Inclusion of promises on renewable energy and energy efficiency in the manifestos of the mainstream political parties is the first step in making the country self reliant in this regard. However what is more important that these promises are implemented in a timely manner, he says.