20 करोड़ डॉलर से सुधरेगी बिजली व्यवस्था, राज्य सरकार ने केंद्र और विश्व बैंक के साथ किया करार

हिमाचल में बिजली क्षेत्र में सुधार के साथ अक्षय ऊर्जा को बढ़ावा मिलेगा। इसके लिए भारत सरकार, प्रदेश सरकार और विश्व बैंक ने 20 करोड़ डालर की परियोजना पर हस्ताक्षर किए हैं। इस करार से हिमाचल में बिजली क्षेत्र में सुधार और बिजली उत्पादन में अक्षय ऊर्जा की हिस्सेदारी को बढ़ाने में मदद मिलेगी।

2030 तक हरित प्रदेश बनने का लक्ष्य

राज्य की बिजली आपूर्ति को हरित बनाने के लिए अतिरिक्त 10 हजार मेगावाट की अक्षय ऊर्जा जोड़ने के राज्य के लक्ष्य में योगदान करेगा। सरकार का लक्ष्य अपनी 100 प्रतिशत ऊर्जा आवश्यकता की पूर्ति अक्षय एवं हरित ऊर्जा के जरिये करके 2030 तक हरित प्रदेश बनना है। हिमाचल वर्तमान में अपनी 80 प्रतिशत से ज्यादा ऊर्जा आवश्यकता की पूर्ति पनबिजली से करता है।

ग्रीनहाउस गैस उत्सर्जन में आएगी कमी

विश्व बैंक का हिमाचल प्रदेश बिजली सेक्टर विकास कार्यक्रम पनबिजली समेत इसके वर्तमान आरई संसाधनों के उपयोग को बढ़ाने और इसके आरई संसाधनों को और विविधीकृत करने में राज्य की मदद करेगा। उदाहरण के लिए राज्य में 150 मेगावाट की सौर क्षमता बढ़ाएगा, जिससे ग्रीनहाउस गैस उत्सर्जन में प्रति वर्ष 1,90,000 टन से अधिक की कमी होगी।

समझौते पर भारत सरकार की ओर से वित्त मंत्रालय के आर्थिक मामलों के विभाग के संयुक्त सचिव के मनिका राज ने हस्ताक्षर किए। वहीं, हिमाचल प्रदेश सरकार की ओर से निदेशक ऊर्जा हरिकेश मीना और विश्व बैंक की ओर से भारत के नेशनल निदेशक आगस्टे तानो कुआमें ने हस्ताक्षर किए।

Thrust on Renewable Energy Programme

Power is one of the most critical components of infrastructure and crucial for the development of nations. Sources of power generation range from conventional sources such as coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, hydro and nuclear power to viable non-conventional sources such as wind, solar, and agricultural and domestic waste. Electricity demand in the country has increased rapidly and is expected to rise further in the years to come. In order to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the country, massive addition to the installed generating capacity is required.
The State Government is aiming to increase share of clean energy through massive thrust on generation of renewable energy. For this, the Government is playing an active role in promoting the adoption of renewable energy resources by offering various incentives, such as generation-based incentives, capital and interest subsidies, viability gap funding, concessional finance, fiscal incentives etc.
Keeping in view the future demand of energy, the State Government through its Himachal Pradesh Government Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA) is implementing the Renewable Energy Programme in the State in an effective manner. Main objective of the programme is to create awareness and to demonstrate effective and innovative use of Solar Photo voltaic Systems for the individuals, community, institutions and industrial establishments.
The Central financial assistance is available under the Renewable Energy Programme on the Solar Photovoltaic Systems such as Solar Street Lighting Systems, Solar Home Lighting System and Solar Power Plants. The proposals received from the panchayats, institutions and government departments are forwarded to the Centre, for approval of subsidy. Apart from providing support for the installation of Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants, subsidy upto 90 per cent of the bench mark cost for plants is being provided for units being installed in Government buildings. Subsidy upto70 per cent is being provided to residential and social sector.
Till date, the Government has sanctioned 200 kW SPV Power Plant at Baru Sahib, 6.5 Kw Power Plant for H.P. Secretariat , 12 SPV Power Plants of 4 kWp capacity each in the District Collectorates and 20 kW SPV Power Plant at H.P. Vidhan Sabha, Shimla. Similarly, 10 Kw SPV Power Plant for Ranser Island, 10 Kw Power Plant for Kibber, 2 kW each SPV Power Plant in 216 Nos of Police Stations in the State, 450 kW aggregate capacity SPV Power Plants for IPH, District Kangra, 55 Kw aggregate capacity SPV Power Plant at Ridge Maidan, Old Bus Stand and Panchayat Bhawanin Shimla and 25Kw SPV Power Plant at Raj Bhawan Shimla stand installed.
As many as 250 SPV Power Plant of 1 kW capacity each have been sanctioned for individual households in the State, out of which 152 SPV Power Plants have been installed and remaining would be installed soon. 100 KW SPV Power Plant has been installed at HP High Court, 100 KW SPV Power Plant at HP Secretariate, 100 KW SPV Power Plant at HIPA and 50 KW SPV Power Plant have been installed  at HP University, Shimla.
HIMURJA has installed 5 kWp at Bachat Bhawan, Reckong-Peo, 5 kWp plants each at ADC Kaza, BSNL Tower Mane Gomga Village, 43 rd BN, ITBP, Sugar Point,  Spiti Valley, ITBP Sumdo, Spiti Valley and ITI Solan. 10 kWp has been installed at ITBP Mormi Dogri, Spiti Valley. 2 kWp plants have been installed at ITBP Kaurik, Spiti Valley, ITBP Baryog, Spiti Valley and  ITBP Lepcha, Spiti Valley. One 3kWp plant has been installed at IPH Kaza, Spiti Valley.
Apart from these 3 SPV Power Plant of 100 kWp capacity at H.P. Judicial Academy, Gandal, Shimla, 14 SPV Power Plants of  1kWp capacity each of IPH, Kaza, 1 kWp SPV Power Plants in 100 premises of individual households at Pangi and Bharmour, 50 kWp SPV Power Plant at Indian Association of Muscular Dystrophy, Solan, 567 kWp SPV Power Plants in 34 Court Complexes in H.P and 5 Power Plants  of  10 kWp SPV each at Village Bara Bhangal in Kangra district are in implementation stage.
The State Government is also providing funds under the Scheduled Caste Component Plan for the installation of SPV Street Lighting Systems in the Scheduled Caste villages which are having 40 per cent or more population of the Scheduled Caste. As many as 7961 SPV lights have been installed under this programme since inception.  Apart from this, 55,230 SPV CFL Type Lanterns, 22,586 SPV Home Lights and 674 SPV LED Home Lights have been installed in the State during present tenure of State Government.

CM stresses to utilize Renewable energy resources

Final master plans for development of Shimla and Hamirpur as Solar cities approved by MNRE

The growing need of energy and increasing environmental concern is a challenge to the mankind, hence, other alternatives of conventional resources of energy have to be explored, said Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh after inaugurating workshop on Promotion of Solar Technologies in Himachal Pradesh under Solar City programme organized by HIMURJA and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India (GoI), at Hotel Holiday Home today.

It is essential to tackle the energy crisis through judicious utilization of abundant renewable energy resources, such as Biomass, Solar, Wind and Geothermal Energy, he said.

The Chief Minister said that our country is facing an acute energy scarcity which is hampering its industrial growth and economic progress. Setting up of new power plants is inevitably dependent on import of highly volatile fossil fuels. He said that amid the growing demand for sustainable energy, the solar power technologies are on the verge of large scale global deployment for being clean renewable resource with zero emission and having tremendous potential of energy. He said that with recent developments in the field, solar energy systems are easily available for industrial and domestic use with the added advantage of minimum maintenance.

It was the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who admitted that solar energy will transform rural India and had launched a National Solar Mission in 2010, he said.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said that Himachal Pradesh endorses the National Policy for promoting clean and environment friendly technologies for exploiting the available power potential.   Time has come to adopt renewable sources of energy instead of polluting fossil fuels as such resources are in abundance in the country, he said, adding that  State Government has been working for development of renewable energy resources. “We have planned to reduce environmental de-gradation and de-forestation by promoting renewable energy technologies in the State”, he said.

He said that final master plans for development of Shimla and Hamirpur cities, as solar cities, have been approved by MNRE, GoI. The Ministry has conveyed the sanction of 15 kWp Solar Power Plant at Panchayat Bhawan, Shimla, 20 kWp Solar Plants each at Ridge Shimla and at Old Bus Stand.

Chief Minister said that as Himachal Pradesh was having increased solar radiation level,   it had the potential of becoming a model State in terms of promotion and development of Solar Energy. Our Government is making efforts to promote the solar energy programme and has notified the revised Solar Power Policy in January, 2016, which is valid upto March 2022, he said adding further that the government had simplified the procedures with time lines for setting up of solar power plants in the State.

As small hydro-power sector also plays a vital role in producing power at cheaper rates, five projects at Juthed, Kothi, Lingti, Sural and Purthi of 900 Kilo Watt capacity had been commissioned by HIMURJA in small hydro power sector, besides four projects of 1470 KW capacity had been commissioned under State sector funding at Sarahan, Gharola, Saach, Billing and Bara Bangal, the Chief Minister said.

 It is the endeavor of our Government to pursue the people to install grid connected roof top solar power plants for which regulation under the policy of Net Metering have been notified by the State Government, said the Chief Minister. To provide reliable power supply in the remote and tribal areas, solar power plants upto 1 kWp have been installed in Spiti Valley. “It has been conveyed to me that Shimla is being developed as a ‘Pilot Solar City’ and the projects under this programme are nearing completion”, he said. He  further added that he would like to see Shimla as a Model Solar City and the department should work on other projects so as to develop Solar Cities in other parts of Himachal Pradesh”, he said.

Mr Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MNRE, GoI while detailing about the use of conventional  Energy resources said that at present the Solar projects of 5547 Mega watt had been currently installed up-to February 2016 and the country targets to achieve 1,00,000 MW of solar power by 2022. He said at present India had been ranked eighth in Solar Production. In reference to Himachal Pradesh, Mr Kapoor said that there was abundant solar radiation in Spiti and Ladakh regions but it needs to redress the transmission part.

There was a time when the charges for Solar power was Rs 17 to    Rs.18 per unit which has considerably reduced to Rs 4/- to Rs 5/- on ground mounted solar panels and it was somewhere between Rs 6/- on Roof top mounted plants. The Shift from large scale hydro energy to Solar and wind energy has been notable, he said adding that today India was at fifth position in producing wind energy after, USA, China, Germany and Japan.

Mayor Mr Sanjay Chauhan, also spoke on the occasion whereas Deputy Mayor, Mr Tikendar Panwar proposed vote of thanks.

Earlier, Chief Executive Officer, HIMURJA, Kanwar Bhanu Pratap Singh welcomed the Chief Minister and briefed about various schemes of the department and measures being initiated for achieving success by installing Solar Energy plants in Lahaul and Spiti district.

MPP and Power Minister Mr Sujan Singh Pathania was also present on the occasion amongst senior officers of MNRE, GoI and others.

Sainj hydropower plant to be ready by 2015

The 100 MW Sainj hydroelectric project being constructed by the state-run Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) in Kullu district is likely to be commissioned by August 2015, an official said in Shimla on Saturday.

The Rs. 800-crore hydro project, funded by the Asian Development Bank, will generate 322 MU per annum. The state is expected to earn revenue of Rs. 150 crore by selling electricity from it, an HPPCL spokesperson told IANS.

Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania on Friday visited the project site and inspected the progress of construction.

The run-of-the-river project is located on the Sainj river, a tributary of the Beas.

The project comprises a diversion barrage on the river near Niharni village, and an underground powerhouse on the right bank of the river near Suind village.

The other projects the HPPCL has taken up include the 450 MW Shongtong-Karchham hydropower project in Kinnaur district, Thana Plaun (191 MW) project near Mandi town, Sawra-Kuddu hydroelectric project (111 MW) in Shimla district, and Stage I, II and III of Kashang project (195 MW) in Kinnaur.

Himachal agrees to get Rs.157 crore power arrears from UP

The Himachal Pradesh government Saturday agreed to Uuttar Pradesh's proposal to pay arrears of Rs.157 crorefor electricity supplied to it in 2011, an official said.

The cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, approved acceptance of the proposal of Uttar Pradesh government with late payment surcharge of six percent on the principal amount, agovernment spokesperson told IANS.

Official sources said earlier Uttar Pradesh had given Rs.30 crore to the state as electricity dues.

The previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state had sold electricity worth about Rs.200 crore in 2011 to Uttar Pradesh.

Pleading the case at a conference of energy ministers in Delhi on Feb 5, Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania had asked the central government to release the amount directly from Uttar Pradesh's planning fund.

Officials of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd said that Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were among the regular buyers of power from the hill state.

Himachal Pradesh, one of the country's largest hydropower producers, earned Rs.700 crore last year by selling electricity to other states.

This fiscal, say officials, it hopes to earn an additional Rs.200 crore as royalty with the commissioning of 30 projects to add 2,200 MW to the existing 8,418 MW.

Fruit growers’ protest on Aug 1

Fruit growers will stage demonstrations in the four major apple producing districts on August 1 against the failure of commission agents (arhtias) to pay the growers to clear the pending payments to farmers amounting to over Rs 15 crore for the last year.

The protest being jointly organised by the Himachal Kisan Sabha and the State Seb Utpadak Sangh will be held right down to block level in Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu and Mandi districts. Their main grievance is that the government policies are being tailor-made for corporate sectors, which have been given various incentives to undertake marketing of farm produce and the interests of the growers are being neglected. 

Rakesh Singha, president of the sangh, said his organisation would publish the list all the commission agents who had failed to pay the growers if the outstanding amounts were not cleared by them with 12 per cent interest by August 7. The growers would boycott those whose name appeared in the list.

He also took an exception to the new practice introduced by the commission agents by paying 40 per cent less for the small size apple.

He said it was nothing but a ploy to exploit the growers. It was illegal as fruit was sold in the retail market by weight.

He also opposed the increase in the road tax from Rs 2 to Rs 5 per box at a time when the cost of production had gone up by 23 to 35 per cent and the prices had dwindled by 30 per cent.

The opening of marketing sector to private companies had only made the matters worse. It had not helped the cause of the growers at all. He alleged that the government had given up the plan to introduce universal packing carton of 20 kg capacity under pressure from commission agents who gained if more fruit was packed in the carton. The growers were packing up to 28 kg of fruit and the beneficiaries were the commission agents, he alleged.

Via: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130730/himachal.htm

Pratibha Singh urges to sanction funds for Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants

Member of Parliament Mrs Pratibha Singh called on Shri Farooq Abdullah Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy in New Delhi and requested him to sanction funds for Photovoltaic Solar Power Plants for the State Government Secretariat building, Shimla and famous Ridge Maidan to promote clean energy in the State Capital.

Mrs Pratibha Singh said that the State Government was focusing on Green Sources of energy and has sent proposals for meeting the power requirements from solar energy which is regarded as the most non-polluting source of energy.

Member of Parliament told that the State Government agency HIMURJA which is promoting the use of non-conventional energy has sent a proposal for installing 100 Kwp Photovoltaic Power Plant at the State Government Secretariat, Shimla and 20 Kwp capacity Photovoltaic Solar Plant for Ridge Maidan, Shimla. She told him that Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of both of the solar plants have been sent to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and requested him to sanction adequate funds for commissioning the plants.

Mrs Pratibha Singh said that 100 kilo watt solar plant would be directly connected to the main secretariat grid to provide its power needs from solar energy which would also help the Government to save electricity bill. She told that entire lighting system of Ridge Maidan would also be connected with solar plant. Once installed and proven efficient, the Government would explore possibilities of adding such more non-polluting plants at HIPA, Mashobra and Panchayat Bhawan Shimla for which DPRs of 100 kwp and 15kwp have already been prepared under Shimla Solar City Programme.

Mrs Pratibha Singh urged for sanction of funds for 150 kwp Solar Power Plant at Pin Valley Kaza and 500 kwp Solar Power Plant for REE village in Bilaspur. She demanded 2000 SPV Home Lighting System for slum areas in Shimla and 5000 SPV lanterns for beneficiaries in Shimla town.

She requested the Union Minister to sanction 20,000 SPV Lanterns and 20,000 SPV home lights for flood affected areas of Kinnaur on the pattern of Uttrakhand and told that electricity has not been restored completely in many villages due to recent flash floods and added that the areas experiences heavy snowfall in winters which leads to disruption in power supply time and again in entire area and requested to provide solar power systems to provide regular clean energy in entire tribal areas. She also demanded 5000 SPV Home Lighting System for remote and backward areas like Dodra Kwar where transmission lines were snapped in winters during heavy snow fall.

She told that HIMURJA has prepared a master plan for implementation of the Union Government-sponsored Solar City Project, for which the MNRE had selected the Shimla among 50 cities across the country. Under the project, the Union Government will provide 90% subsidy on renewable energy projects while 10% is to be borne by the concerned beneficiaries to reduce at least 10% of the projected demand of conventional energy through renewable energy. Through an awareness campaign, the project would promote solar devices such as photovoltaic systems, solar water heating, cooking, steam generating and air-conditioning systems, she added.