Solar energy to light up Mizoram villages

Sun, wind, water and even bamboo. Abundant in all elements, Mizoram has chalked out a one-year plan to light up all its villages through renewable energy.

The project, to be carried out in collaboration with the ministry of non-conventional energy sources, is aimed at providing power to un-electrified households as well as industrial sites.

The Mizoram government has already identified degraded wastelands to tap non-conventional energy resources such as solar, wind, water, bamboo and biomass energy. It has identified 36 un-electrified villages - at an average of 65 households per village - that will be provided power through solar energy.

About 500 families will be given solar lanterns at subsidised rates in the initial phase of the programme.

The government-run Zoram Electronic Development Agency (ZEDA) has constituted advisory committees in all district headquarters for implementation of the programmes envisaged under the new project.

"Our department has already started taking initiative for effective implementation of the government's non-conventional energy policy in a phased manner," said project director of ZEDA, Benjamin L. Tlumtea.

The state will soon have legislation making it mandatory for all government buildings to use solar water heater systems.

"Besides this, we have invested Rs.370 million to provide standalone Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) power plants of 25 KW capacity at the district civil hospital, TNT Calvary Hospital, maternity hospital, and other health centres across the state capital," he said.

The government will also set up energy parks in various colleges and universities involving an expenditure of Rs.1.2 million, besides establishing a Rs.10 million state-level educational energy park in the capital city.

Since the southern belt of the state such as Lunglei and Saiha districts are yet to be fully electrified, ZEDA would invest about Rs.30 million on solar street lights and solar home lights.

As part of the investment, the government has already installed about 3,386 solar home lighting systems, 5,931 solar lanterns and 431 solar streetlights in these areas under the project.

To tap wind resources, the government will invest about Rs.300,000.

On the industrial perspective, ZEDA has plans that would be the first in the country - to set up pioneering environment-friendly power stations that run on bamboo to help meet the new industrial energy needs.

The proposed power projects have been designed by scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc)-Bangalore and Ankur Scientific Energy Technologies Ltd, the two consultancies working on turning bamboo into electricity.

(IANS)

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