The geographical location of India is suitable for converting solar energy into diff erent forms. Every part of the country receives plenty of sunlight which is a boon for the country’s energy crisis. To tackle the energy crisis, the Indian Government has a fair number of solar energy projects functioning in the entire country. The states which have the most Solar Power Plants are Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Along with these plants, the government and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) aim to install Solar Water Pumps across the country under the Varun Mitra Project and the Kusum Yojana. Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka, Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park, NP Kunta Ultra Mega Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh are some of the major power plants through which India plans to generate around 175-gigawatt energy by 2022. Statistics say that 2.25 lakh solar pumps were installed between the year 2014-2019 which is 19 times higher than what was installed before 2014. The usage of solar energy benefi ts the environment on a large scale as it reduces the usage of water in energy production. It also mitigates air pollution and reduces the carbon emissions already present in the air. It does not produce any greenhouse gases and thus slows down climate change. For the environment to benefit, it would be essential for the people of India to switch to renewable sources of energy like solar cookers, electric cars, solar panels for corporate offices, railway stations, airports, etc. The government of India also provides a subsidy to the families who install Solar Power Plants on their terraces or in their buildings. To move towards a better future, the government has started the Surya Mitra program where students would be taught to install solar water pumps and this program will be free of cost. Surya Mitra program is also going to employ 13 lakh people across the country. According to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the solar park scheme has doubled from 20 GW to 40 GW and is expected to grow immensely till 2022. For more details regarding Renewable Energy and the upcoming projects, visit https://mnre.gov.in/
10 Jan 2022
Atharva Agashe
