Agartala to be northeast’s first ’solar city’ (Lead, correcting figure in para 5)

AGARTALA - The Tripura government Friday announced ambitious plans to make its capital Agartala a ’solar city’ replacing at least 10 percent of conventional energy use by solar energy.

“Agartala city would be the first ’solar city’ in northeast India within the next few years,” state Science, Technology and Environment Minister Joy Gobinda Debroy told reporters.

“A Rs.20 crore project has been undertaken to make Agartala a ’solar city’. The union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) would bear 90 percent of the cost and remaining would be given by the Tripura government,” he said.

As part of the scheme, solar hot water system would be installed in all the hotels, nursing homes, the government circuit houses and bungalows, hospitals and health centres, tourist lodges, temples and the governor’s residence.

According to the minister, the Agartala solar city project is part of the MNRE’s plan to turn India’s 60 cities into solar cities.

“The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Authority (TREDA) and urban development department in association with the MNRE would implement the scheme,” Debroy added.

The city’s street lights and other lights in public places would also be operated on solar energy.

The minister said that 693 hamlets and 46 villages in remote areas in the northeastern state have already been provided solar energy, benefiting more than 32,000 families, mostly tribals.

“Solar energy would also be provided 251 more remote villages in the state under the remote village electrification (RVE) scheme during the current financial year,” the minister said.

The TREDA would also provide 20,000 solar lanterns among the poor people residing in the urban areas in Tripura.