Leh: Lieutenant governor of Ladakh RK Mathur has stressed for following the roadmap to reverse the ecological imbalance in the Himalayan region by harnessing renewable (green) sources of energy like solar and geothermal to ensure sustainable development.
Mathur was speaking at the first Agni campaign, organised under the joint auspices of Power Foundation of India (PFI) and Vijnana Bharti (Vibha), held at Leh to create awareness on Agni Tattva under LiFE – Lifestyle for environment.
Crave for modernisation takes toll on Himalayan ecosystem
Underlining that the modernisation has taken its toll on the local ecosystem, the lieutenant governor said the imbalance could alter the monsoon cycle of the entire country, since it is inter-linked with the Himalayan ecosystem. “Ladakh always had a sustainable lifestyle, however, increased modernisation is leading to an imbalance in the ecosystem of the region,” he said.
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Mathur said Ladakh has immense solar energy potential, which should be harnessed. Ladakh should work towards generating systems to provide power to remote areas. The focus is to provide decentralized renewable solar power across Ladakh thereby reducing grid dependency.
Ladakh shall focus on harnessing geothermal, green hydrogen power
Stipulating the roadmap to make Ladakh a Carbon neutral, Mathur said geothermal energy is another focus area that holds immense potential in the Ladakh region. Unlike other renewable energy sources, which are intermittent in nature, it is available throughout the day and the year and should be suitably harnessed.
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“Green Hydrogen is another option in Ladakh, as the region has plenty of solar energy. It also has water. The Hydrogen harnessed from this could be used to substitute petrol and diesel and the oxygen could be used in hospitals and by tourists,” added the lieutenant governor.
Event focussed on concept of Agni Tattva
The event was held as part of the PFI and Vibha’s campaign on the theme of sustainability and culture. Conferences, seminars, events, and exhibitions involving educational institutions, communities, and relevant organisations would be conducted across the country to create awareness of the core concept of Agni Tattva, an element that is synonymous with energy and is amongst the five elements of Panchmahabhoot.
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The first conference of the Agni campaign was organised in Leh Friday, which witnessed participation from key stakeholders working in the areas of energy, culture, and sustainability, from diverse fields such as administration, policymakers, academics, and start-ups.
‘Adopt lifestyle to suit needs of environment, philosophy’
MP of Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal emphasized on an interdependent world. He said that Indian philosophy views the world as one and everything in it as one, but in the development model so far, the oneness has been lost. He further underlined that the model being formulated by PM Narendra Modi is based on Oneness, such as One Sun, One World, One Grid, and the efforts are on to promote and propagate a lifestyle that is conscious of the environment, based on this Indian philosophy of oneness.
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The other eminent speakers at the conference highlighted sustainable construction practices, energy access for mountain areas, social behaviour, and its impact on electricity demand.
Agni Tattva campaign launched last month
The Agni Tattva campaign – Energy for LiFE, an initiative under the umbrella campaign of Sumangalam, was launched by Union power minister R K Singh in New Delhi on September 21 this year. A series of seminars spanning the length and breadth of the country have been planned as a part of the campaign.
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Power Foundation of India is a Society formed under the aegis of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, and supported by leading CPSEs. The Foundation is involved in areas of advocacy and research, positively impacting the evolving energy landscape.
