With a view to recognise the efforts made for energy efficiency and conservation in various sectors of the State, the Chhattisgarh Government has instituted a State Award.
The Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) has now invited nominations from sectors such as Iron & Steel, Cement, Thermal Power, Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Nagar Panchayats, Hospitals and Hotels and Shopping Malls for outstanding work done in 2014-15.
The award function would be held on August 9 this year.
Two Energy Efficiency awards -first and second proposed to be given in the Trophy as well as certificate of appreciation.
Quite significantly, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a Renewable Energy target of 1783 MW to be generated from solar powered sources by the year 2022.
Chhattisgarh ranks first in the country in terms of providing drinking water through solar powered pumps, they stated.
Out of the total number of solar pumps installed in the entire country in financial year 2013-14, nearly 90 per cent of the solar pumps were installed in Chhattisgarh itself, they claimed.
The CREDA under its ‘Hot Water Supply Scheme’ has established a plant in insurgency infested Kanker district of insurgency infested Bastar region to supply 10,100 litres of hot water per day to the various Government and private establishments.
Besides, the agency has also installed a plant to supply 7000 litres of hot water per day in Jungle Warfare Training Centre in the district.
Apart from this, a total of 30 solar powered equipment had also been installed in the primary health centers besides solar power plants had been established in Koyalibada, Civil Hospital, Pankhajur and at Prime Health Centre, Amabeda.
CREDA has also established a 25 Kw solar energy equipment in the Keshkal valley on Jagdalpur road about 30 kms from the district headquarters which had helped street lights remaining illuminated in the 6 kms length of the valley while preventing accidents.
There are about 13 villages in the interior parts of Kanker district which cannot receive power supply in the conventional mode which now have solar powered street lights installed in the villages. The installation of the solar powered equipment had benefited nearly 4,000 families residing in the district.
Moreover, by installing over 1,100 solar pumps, pure and safe water supply has been made available to the inaccessible, non-electrified and tribal areas of the entire State. As they function with solar energy, water supply here is free from any kind of power hindrance.
Along with settlements, availability of clean and safe drinking water has been ensured in schools also. So far, arrangement for clean drinking water has been made in 46,975 schools in the State. In Aanganwadis also, clean drinking water arrangement for children has been made through hand pumps or tap connection.
At present, tube-well is the main source of drinking water in villages of the State. Because of irregular rainfall and excessive exploration of ground water, ground water level has been declined in some parts of the State. Quality of water has also been affected.
Moreover, after achieving a significantly large solar power footprint across the State, the Chhattisgarh Government is now getting all set to tap wind power in several parts of the State.
CREDA had recently invited offers from reputed Wind Farm owners, IPPs, wind farm developers and Wind Turbine manufacturers or empanelled lattice Wind Mast fabricators for implementation of Wind Resource Assessment (WRA) Programme and subsequent development as per the State Government’s and National Institute of Wind Energy ( formerly known as Centre for Wind Energy Technology ) ( C-WET) guidelines in Chhattisgarh State.
It has also invited of Expression of Interest (EoI) for Implementation of Wind Resource Assessment in Uncovered / New Areas under NCEF Scheme and subsequent development at various locations in Chhattisgarh State.
India ranks 4th in terms of power generation, in world. This was stated by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (IC) Piyush Goyal in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The Minister further stated that in terms of wind energy, India ranks 5th and in terms of solar energy, India ranks 11th in the world.