Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s ingenious way of getting power from open drains and wastelands has caught the fancy of the Delhi Government. Gujarat has installed solar panels on open drains and over wasteland for generating solar power, a cost-effective plan.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the Sheila Dikshit Government in Delhi has now asked environment department officials to visit that State for first-hand knowledge of technology being used.
The Modi model of development of Ring Road in Surat will soon be adopted for development of urban extension road on a public-private partnership (PPP) in the National Capital. A proposal has been given green signal by the highest authorities in Delhi Government.
“There are a lot of open drains and wasteland in Delhi where solar panels can be set up to help the Government meet electricity demands that are increasing every year,” said a source.
“If Gujarat can use the 19,000-km network of Narmada canals for setting up solar panels to generate power, why not DelhiIJ” he added. The city’s electricity demand has reached 5,200 megawatt this summer.
Anticipated demand, according to the Twelfth Five Year Plan, is 7,500 megawatt. Currently, Delhi generates only 1,275-1,452 megawatt from its four plants.
Gujarat plans to cover the Narmada canals with solar panels — estimated to generate 2,200 megawatt — to prevent water from evaporating. It is learnt that 2,000 crore litres of water is expected to be saved this way.
Modi had launched the solar power programme in 2010. A Rs 9,000-crore solar park, set up on Government wasteland, has already been producing 214 megawatt, making Gujarat the first State to generate such capacity at a single location. When expanded to 5,000 acres from the present 2,669 acres, the Charanka Park, in a village of Patan district, will generate 500 megawatt.
This will make it Asia’s largest solar farm. In all, Gujarat’s total installed capacity is 605 MW and projects are operational in 10 districts. According to officials of Delhi Government, it is estimated that the solar power project would produce 30 lakh units of clean energy every day, capable of electrification of 10 lakh households. It would also help avoid 10 lakh tonne equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
“Gujarat, which accounts for two-thirds of national solar power production, has attracted an investment of Rs 8,000 crore. Buoyed by the success, the Government is looking at acquiring some more wasteland in Banaskantha district for setting up another solar park,” said an official.