Solar Power Camp held at Community Centre, Sector 21

Chandigarh, 20^th November, 2016: Today at a ‘Solar Power Camp’ organized at Community Centre of Sector 21, the residents and office bearers of Citizens Association, Sector 21, promised to install 100 kW solar power generation systems at rooftops of residential houses and commercial establishments. This solar power camp was organized jointly by Citizens Association, Sector 21, FOSWAC, Chandigarh, Renewable Energy Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) & Yuvsatta-an NGO. And over 200 active residents of Sector 21 participated in the initiative.

Prominent amongst those who were present on the occasion included Santosh Kumar, Director, Departments of Science and Technology and CEO, CREST, Baljinder Singh Bittu, President, Citizen’s Association, Sector 21 and Chairman, FOSWAC, Ravinder Singh, Project Director, CREST, Avtar Singh Paul, Director, Peoples Convention Centre, Pramod Sharma, Coordinator, Yuvsatta, Aashima Bhullar, AGM, IDBI Bank and Aarun Randhawa, former SSP, Chandigarh Police.

The programme started by sharing of experiences of installing Solar Power Systems by Aarun Randhawa and Avtar Singh Pal who said that Solar Power is 21st century answer to fossil fuel consumption and reduction of carbon footprints. As this will take us proud and take Chandigarh towards green and sustainable future.

Addressing the gathering Santosh Kumar shared that Solar energy is not only sustainable, it is renewable and this means that we will never run out of it. It is about as natural a source of power as it is possible to generate electricity and it requires little maintenance. He added that Chandigarh Administration is dedicated in development of solar rooftop projects in the city and Chandigarh is designated as a model solar city by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The central government has set a target of installing 50MW rooftop solar power plants in Chandigarh by 2022 and 15% of the same is already achieved by installing rooftop solar photovoltaic plants on over 145 government buildings. Now, Chandigarh administration is eager to facilitate the proliferation of solar rooftop photovoltaic projects in the domestic and commercial consumer category as well, for which they are reaching out to different RWA’s and have roped in NGO’s like Yuvsatta to promote the initiative amongst masses at large.

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Baljinder Singh Bittu said that it’s a matter of proud privilege for residents of Sector 21 that Chandigarh Administration has selected Sector 21 first to develop as SOLAR SECTOR in Chandigarh and a special SOLAR POWER CAMP is being organized here. To realize the objective of ‘Solar Chandigarh Green Chandigarh’, Bittu with other office bearers of the Citizens Association namely Ajit Singh Bhatia, Sr. Vice President, Pradeep Chopra, General Secretary, Sandeep Bhalla, Organizing Secretary and RC Nayyar Patron Citizens Association promised to motivate and get 100 KW solar power systems at residential rooftops in Sector 21. 

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They also honoured Santosh Kumar on the occasion for exemplary work in the field of Solar Power promotion in Chandigarh and taking Solar Power example Chandigarh internationally too.

Addressing the gathering Aashima Bhullar, AGM, IDBI Bank said that their bank is offering easy loan under ‘Surya Shakti Scheme For Financing Roof Top Solar Power Plants’, for individual households to generate their own power to cut their power bills. And all individuals/joint individuals are eligible for loan up to 85 percent of project cost at very attractive rate of interests and minimum paper-work.

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In the end Pramod Sharma, Coordinator, Yuvsatta said that next month their NGO will organize similar Solar Power Camps in Sector 8 and 33 as well. They plan to cover the entire Chandigarh city with more such awareness drives​ in 2017.