Connect with us

Top Stories

Goa to get India’s first green energy convergence project | Goa News – Times of India

Published

on

[ad_1]

PANAJI: India’s first convergence project to generate green energy for rural and agriculture consumption is set to come up in the state. Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the ministry of power, and Goa government signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to discuss the rolling out of the affordable clean power project.
The project is expected to accelerate the usage of renewable energy sources in the country, Union minister of state (independent charge) for power and new and renewable energy R K Singh said, adding that the signing of the MoU “in some sense marks the beginning of a fresh green revolution”. He asked Goa to take the lead in this regard with all possible support by the Centre under the PM-KUSUM scheme.
“With this initiative Goa is well on the path to becoming a green state,” he said.
“The state has set a target to generate 150MW green energy in the next two to three years and will also set up 100MW solar power plants across the state,” power minister Nilesh Cabral said.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Singh, Cabral, secretary ministry of power, Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, and other senior officers of the ministry.
Cabral said that under the convergence project, 6,500 five-starred agriculture pumps will be distributed to farmers in the state and that in the next one year four LED bulbs will be distributed per house. The state will also provide solar cookers. “EESL will invest Rs 450 crore and the government will buy power at Rs 3.7,” the power minister said. He said that agreement will be in force for the next 25 years.
When people are shouting about stopping coal transportation, with this MOU Goa is going in for green energy, Cabral said. “In future we will reduce the quantity of coal based power being brought to the state. Our target is to make Goa run on green energy,” he said.
In Goa, EESL will install solar projects in a first of its kind large scale programme where vacant/unused land provided by village panchayats/electricity board will be utilised. The solar power plant will be installed with capacities ranging from 500KW to 2MW, depending on the size of the land. This will enable distribution companies to supply power during the day and reduce transmission losses.
Under the MoU, EESL and the directorate of new and renewable energy (DNRE) will carry out feasibility studies and subsequent implementation of 100MW decentralised solar energy projects that will contribute in reduction of peak energy demand through deployment of energy efficient agricultural pumping and rural lighting thus contributing to overall sustainability.
Approximately 6,300 agricultural pumps will be replaced with BEE star-rated energy efficient pumps and approximately 16 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed to rural domestic households.
“When we started the PM-KUSUM scheme, this is what was in our mind, to restart a fresh green revolution in the agriculture sector,” Singh said.
PM-KUSUM scheme supports installation of off-grid solar pumps in rural areas and reduces dependence on grid, in grid-connected areas.
“This model is expected to be adopted by other states as it will reduce losses in terms of expenditure on water for the farm sector, which runs into tens of thousands crore rupees in several states. That preempts state spending on health, education, and other important sectors,” Singh said.
The Union minister asked his ministry to look out for incentivising energy and groundwater saving by farmers. Together with the new rooftop solar scheme this will prove to be win-win for farmers and states, helping them to go green.
Goa has no power plant of its own. It gets around 550MW from the central grid.

[ad_2]

Source link

Special Stories

Broke Swiggy guy walks 3 km to deliver food, Social media helps him find better job. Heartwarming story is viral

Published

on

Social media can be a wondrous place at times. While on most days, its ugly face is on display, on days like today, it sets examples of the power of kindness. In a social media post, a LinkedIn user shared how a delivery executive, in need of money and a better job, bagged one after the users on the platform came together to help the person out.

Priyanshi Chandel, Marketing Manager at tech company Flash, shared an incident about a Swiggy delivery agent who had come to deliver food at her residence. When she asked the late and out-of-breath delivery person, identified by her as Sahil Singh, about what happened, he told her that he had no transport and had to walk 3 km to deliver the order.

He also said that he was out of money and had nothing left to pay his landlord too. Singh told her that he was not looking for money from her but requested her to help him bag a job. He said that he had a degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering, and had worked with Byju’s and Ninjacart before. He had to move back to Jammu during the pandemic.

“I have not eaten for a week, just drinking water and tea to get by. I am not asking for anything, please if you can find me a job, I used to make 25k before, I am 30 years old, my parents are getting old and I can’t keep asking for money from them (sic),” Chandel quoted saying.

She also shared his marksheets and contact number for people to help. His details shared show that he is a 2018 BTech graduate from Mewar University, and completed his schooling from the Jammu and Kashmir state board.

After she shared the details, the comments section was filled with people who stepped up to help. While someone recharged his Yulu account so that he did not have to walk around to deliver food, someone offered a place to stay. Many offered to help him with his applications, while some offered jobs too.

Chandel, later on put an update on the post, and said that he received a job.

However, so far it is unclear what job he has received.

2023 has so far been a year of job losses, an eventual outcome of the pandemic and increased hiring by tech companies. For instance, the SSC MTS 2023 recruitment exam that took place in Uttar Pradesh in May saw over 55 lakh applications for Group D jobs. Numerous candidates who applied for positions such as peon, watchman, gardener had educational backgrounds like BTech, MBA, and Master’s degrees.

Continue Reading

Top Stories

Goa CM, NRI Commissioner writes to MoEF for help in safe return of Goans from Ukraine

Published

on

Panaji: Goa chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant on Thursday urged Union Minister for External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar to help in safe return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

Sawant tweeted “we are concerned about the Goans in Ukraine who are considering to return to India in the light of ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. I request Union Minister for External Affairs @DrSJaishankar ji for help in the safe return of Goans. I am keeping track of the situation.”

The chief minister’s tweet comes hours after Goa’s NRI Commissioner Narendra Sawaikar wrote to the Union External Affairs ministry seeking help in return of Goans who are in the Ukraine.

“Many Goans are currently residing in Ukraine due to various purposes including higher studies and due to the ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, I have started receiving requests for help and assistance from them to return back to India,” Sawaikar wrote.

The Commissioner further wrote in the letter that advisories have already been issued by the Ministery of External Affairs to Indians currently in Ukraine and our Indian Mission in Kyiy is currently handling the matter.

“Striking note of urgency, the Government of India has recently asked the family members of Embassy officials in Ukraine as well as students and citizens whose stay is not vital , to leave the Eastern European nation amid it’s raising tensions with Russia,” the letter reads.

Sawaikar wrote that the Goans in Ukraine are in touch with this office as they are anxious to temporarily return till the situation normalizes.

Continue Reading

Top Stories

Election Commission announces polling dates and counting days for Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 states

Published

on

On Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates for the Vidhan Sabha elections in 5 States, namely, Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

While briefing the media, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra informed that the elections in the poll-bound States will commence from February 10, 2022, to March 7, 2022. Elections in the State of Uttar Pradesh will be conducted in 7 phases, followed by Manipur with 2 phases. Elections in Goa, Uttarkhand and Punjab will be conducted in a single phase.

According to the Election Commission of India, the votes will be counted on March 10, 2022. ECI informed that all physical campaigning will be ceased until January 15, 2022, in light of the rising cases of Coronavirus.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending