Indian government has decided to develop 60 cities in the country, including Gurgaon and Faridabad as solar or green cities, under a program called Development of Solar Cities. As per the scheme, INR5 million will be provided to the local governments out of which, INR1 million is to prepare a master plan, another INR1 million is to set up a solar cell in the city council, INR1 million is to implement the plan over five years and the remaining INR2 million is for other promotional activities.
The government is undertaking the new programme called Development of Solar Cities with intention of reducing conventional energy demand by 10% in five years.
Totally 60 cities with population between 5 million to 50 million would be provided assistance during the eleventh plan period. Approval for 15 cities including Gurgaon has already been accorded by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in principle, a ministry spokesman said.
The approval for Faridabad, in principle, would also be given soon, the spokesman said.
The programme intends to enable/empower urban local governments to adopt energy efficiency measures and ensure greater use of renewable energy so as to reduce the projected demand for conventional energy by a minimum of 10% by the end of five years.