Government of India considering including Bhopal, Jabalpur and Rewa under its 'Solar City' programme

The Government of India is considering including Bhopal, Jabalpur and Rewa under its 'Solar City' programme. Gwalior and Indore cities of the state are already included in the list of 60 cities cleared for the programme by the Centre. This was informed by the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farookh Abdullah in reply to a letter written by the Madhya Pradesh Urban Administration and Development Minister Babulal Gaur recently. Gaur had urged the Union Minister to include Bhopal, Jabalpur and Rewa also under the Solar City Programme. 

The 'Solar City' programme is to be implemented through the urban bodies. For this purpose the New and Renewable Energy Ministry of the Union Government will provide Rs 50 lakh in four installments to the selected city for this purpose. With this amount the urban body would prepare a master plan and will develop the whole system within a period of five years.The purpose of the scheme is to reduce consumption of the traditional energy supply by 10 per cent and use solar energy in its place. 

Under this scheme, solar water heating system, solar cooker, solar steam generating system, solar lamp, establishment of solar refrigeration and air conditioning plant, solar generator, solar hoarding, solar street and garden light, solar traffic light system, road studs, solar power pack and buildings integrated photo voltaic system should be given a boost.