In a bid to make people realise the value of solar energy, the government is trying to rope in spiritual and interfaith gurus, who will be entrusted with ensuring that their ashrams are solar-powered, further encouraging their followers to embrace it in their lives.
The gurus will act as spiritual partners of International Solar Alliance, a global grouping of over 100 countries located fully or partially between tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, that was launched by PM Modi at the Paris climate summit last December, reports Times of India.
The new and renewable energy secretary Upendra Tripathi told the newspaper that spiritual and interfaith gurus have mammoth followers visiting their meditation centres, enabling them to demonstrate the virtues and values of solar energy to a global audience.
The government is trying to garner support from at least 100 ashrams, that will be awarded with a commitment certificate to recognise their contribution and commitment towards the cause.
“If we can get commitment of even 1MW of solar capacity from each ashram, it will be a big leap of faith and encourage others. Solar projects will help ashrams reduce their power bill and they can also sell electricity to the grid,” Tripathi told TOI.
Spiritual guru and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar launched the ‘International Interfaith Solar Alliance’ during the World Cultural Festival organised in Delhi in March this year. He has called upon over 2,000 interfaith leaders of the world to support and encourage the use of solar energy by setting up solar power projects at their institutions, communities and countries.
The government has set an ambitious target of creating 175GW power by 2022 from renewable source, including 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from biomass and 5 GW from small hydroelectric projects, in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions considerable by 2030.
(Feature image source: PTI)