The State till recently was the largest solar producer in the country. However, Karnataka has taken the lead now.
Hyderabad: Telangana will add 500 MW solar capacity in the next few months to its existing 3,400 MW. Solar energy accounts for about 30 per cent of the total energy production capacity in Telangana, said Ajay Mishra, Special Chief Secretary (Energy, Environment, Forest, Science and Technology), Government of Telangana.
The State till recently was the largest solar producer in the country. However, Karnataka has taken the lead now. Telangana has followed a decentralised approach in setting up smaller solar projects in multiple locations rather than going for large solar parks in one location.
Adopting this has helped the State reduce the transmission and distribution losses worth Rs 50 crores a year. The State also was not required to spend huge amounts to create the evacuation network. This also aided in effective use of the existing infrastructure, he said.
“Incentives for green buildings are likely to be announced after elections,” Mishra added.
Schools
About 8 MW capacity will be added shortly to make 150 schools, including residential ones, independent of grid power. Solar rooftop projects too are picking up in the State and currently stands at 45 MW and this will grow to about 70 MW shortly, he said.
Harithaharam
The State Government has targeted to plant 100 crore saplings, nearly a three-fold increase from 30 crore saplings planted this year. The State now has about 2,000 nurseries supplying the required saplings. This will be increased to 10,000 villages. The initiative aims at increasing the green cover to about 33 per cent from about 23 per cent. The programme costs are met through the rural employment scheme, as it meets the criterion of being labour-intensive. The State Government also supports the programme.
The survival rate of the saplings has increased as the State Government has geo-tagged the sites for monitoring. The programme will result in sustainable employment generation and the impact can be seen over a decade or more period.
Efforts are also being made to develop 59 identified urban forest blocks within a radius of about 60 km from Hyderabad. Public amenities will be created here.
The State will soon set up an environment and habitat planning centre, which will work with other bodies such as IGBC, to implement green projects and take up other sustainable programmes.
S Raghupathy, CII Deputy Director General, Indian Green Building Council, V Suresh, Chairman, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), and IGBC Hyderabad Chapter Chairman C Shekar Reddy spoke.
They said Telangana is one of the foremost States in the green building movement with more than 300 plus registered as green projects spanning 107 million sq ft. They wanted the government to reduce developmental and other charges for builders taking up green projects. This will encourage more to take up such projects. The incremental cost is just three to four per cent more than conventional buildings but the costs can be recovered in about two years.
Source: telanganatoday
