New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Renewable energy is the way of the future and the government is planning a major thrust in the sphere of solar and wind to meet the energy needs of India and also reduce environmental hazards, union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said.
As a step forward to reduce dependency on conventional energy means and prevent the environmental costs, the government is launching a solar mission across the country from Nov 14.

“On Nov 14, the central government will be launching a solar mission on the birth anniversary of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru,” Abdullah said at a function here Wednesday evening organised to felicitate him.

“Our country imports petrol, oil, coal and millions of rupees are spent on it but enormous resources of solar and wind energy remain unused. The government has decided to tap these natural resources. Use of non conventional energy is the best solution for global warming,” he said.

He said the government will give large solar panels to rural households in the country to bring electricity to every village.

Abdullah expressed concern that glaciers in Himalayas were fast receding due to global warming.

“My own state (Jammu and Kashmir) is suffering. Our rivers are shrinking. Glaciers are receding fast. We have to find a solution to the problems of our energy needs and necessity to preserve the environment,” he said adding that “new and renewable energy has an answer to this problem”.

The solar industry in sun-rich India is currently experiencing a strong course of growth. The government has an ambitious plan to expand the capacity of solar installations to 20 gigawatts by the year 2020 from the current 2.1 MW.

Abdullah said the proposed solar energy mission will have provisions for entrepreneurs that will get incentive investment and reduce the cost for the use of solar panels on a large scale.