SRINAGAR, Dec 18:
Advising people to go for solar energy which is cheap, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah said that big industrial houses are hesitating to come to Jammu and Kashmir because of shortage of power.
He said a 500 MW solar power station will be constructed at Leh which can be used in the State. People should take advantage of subsidy and other benefits available from the Centre to adopt solar energy as alternative to power in their day-to-day life, Dr Abdulllah said.
He said if people will go for solar and wind energy the country can save power, a main source for industrial development.
“I am also using solar energy in my geyser for hot water,” he said and advised people, particularly in the Kashmir valley to use such solar geysers which are available on subsidised rates here. There is need for hot water, particularly during winter in the Kashmir valley, he said adding that people can use solar geysers in the absence of electricity.
Dr Abdullah said that a 500 MW solar power station will be constructed at Leh which can be used in the State. “Since there is not enough demand of power in Leh, the power can be used elsewhere in the State, including Kashmir valley, he said adding for which we have to construct a transmission line to import solar power to other parts from Leh.”
It will take some years, he said adding solar energy will also generate employment in the State. He said in some areas of the country, the solar energy is being used for recharging of solar lantern and mobile phones by people, including women who are earning out of this.
“We need people to train our youths, including women to operate these solar system,” he said and announced the Government will ask some IITs to introduce the solar energy in their syllabus to train engineers.
Dr Abdullah said wind power is another alternative which can be used against electricity by people to meet their requirements. We can generate wind power in some areas of Baramulla district in north Kashmir and Rajouri in Jammu region, “he added.
He said his ministry is exploring this possibility and will come out with a detailed project report to tap this energy. The Union Minister said” industrial houses are not coming to Kashmir because we have no power to offer them. When we cannot provide electricity to our people to their daily uses how can we provide power to industries, necessary for running them.”
He said industrial houses are establishing their units in places where they are sure to make profit. But when they cannot get power how can they run and make profit, he asked. Dr Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir has a potential to generate more than 20000 MW power. But, he said, due to Indus Water Treaty (IWT) we cannot take full advantage of our rivers. When we start any power house or construction on our rivers, people from Pakistan raise objections and come to inspect us, a great disadvantage to Jammu and Kashmir. We could have used water of our rivers as per our wish and generate power,”he said adding” but because of IWT we cannot do it.”
He said delay in completing construction of our power project was another factor of slow progress in power sector. The foundation stone of Dulhasti power project was laid by late Indira Gandhi in 1983 and it took more than two decades to complete it. Similar was the case with other projects, he said. He said State Government identified seven power projects when he was Chief Minister of the State. “But we could not start them after the Centre refused to give us counter guarantee, necessary to get foreign finance,” he said adding that later these projects were handed over to Centre with an agreement that once the money spent for construction of these projects would be recovered, these will be returned to State.
Dr Abdullah also said people are unintentionally misusing the power in the Jammu and Kashmir. They keep lights on when there is no need, he said adding he could see shopkeepers keeping bulbs outside their shops on even during the day. (UNI)
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