Two decades ago I was an Election Observer in Kargil. I traveled widely in that area. Diesel grid electrified the major towns and a few villages for a few hours in the evening. Generators were used otherwise in the various establishments. Kerosene was used for space heating, cooking and hot water. Some commercial establishments used wood for heating. A long line of tankers of kerosene and diesel and truckloads of wood would wind their way to Leh and Kargil and beyond. This was also very costly. Electricity cost per unit was above ₹20 or more.

During my stint as Secretary in the the Ministry of Renewable Energy as Secretary in 2008 the solar mission was started and the then government approved a ₹500-crore renewable energy plan for Ladakh.

The plan had the following components — solar with batteries for many villages to provide power in evenings; solar for many hospitals and schools; solar thermal for hostels and commercial establishments; solar cooking dishes for households; experimental solar cooking for an army mess; 100-200 KV solar pv demo projects for various organizations; individual and commercial greenhouses to provide all weather greens and some small hydro projects where there were almost perennial streams.

This project was implemented by the Ladakh and Kargil renewable energy agencies who were fully facilitated to do so. We made considerable effort to get these going over two years. A 500 kw hydro plant was completed in Turtuk, the last village in Kargil, which I visited with the Minister. A 1.5 MW project was completed in Drass, where the Kargil conflict was fought. Over 20,000 and 10,000 sq metres of solar thermal water heating systems were installed and 40 and 30 villages got solar PV systems of 11.18 and 12.5 MW in Leh and Kargil respectively. The batteries would perhaps need to be replaced now. Commercial greenhouses led to earnings of over ₹40,000 each in the winter season. They have estimated that the project saved 35 million litres of diesel and 5 lakh litres of kersosene and 16,000 tonnes of wood.

This project should be expanded with saturation coverage with greenhouses. The households would be benefited by fresh greens in the winter and some daytime heating. When it is commercialised, greens would be available in the market adding to incomes. This would be of great benefit to the army and para military forces which would also provide a ready market. The DRDO lab has been experimenting on greenhouse for years. Why have we not been able to saturate the area? Every household in the villages could be provided one or two dish solar cookers, although it appears that the problem of strong winds would need to be addressed.

Since my retirement, and while in UPSC, I also circulated a solar plan to all senior people concerned every year for the army and para military forces. This could possibly be for about 50-100 MW. Saturation coverage, even with batteries, would lead to savings of millions of litres of diesel.

On a holiday in 2012, I had visited a forward ITBP post beyond Pangong lake. It had about 40-50 personnel with a small pucca building and tents. The smell of diesel and kerosene was everywhere. Solar cooking would reduce consumption of kerosene considerably. Solar thermal would provide hot water for at least nine months of the year. Room heating could come though this water circulating inside through pipes. I saw such experiments in China. Solar pv would provide all the day load. Evening load would come though storage. A plan for all posts was possible.

We had assisted Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for their forward posts after a meeting with DG ITBP. BSF could do the same for its forward posts in the west and east and the army in Arunachal Pradesh. I had visited the BSF border post in Mizoram and the Army’s last post in Tawang. Recently Sonam Wangchuk has proposed a solar tent. A mix of suggestions could lead to the best possible solution. This is an urgent requirement. Solar provides us this historic opportunity.

I visited a school in Leh made famous by the film ‘Three idiots’ and a hostel for monks nearby. They had used local architecture design that helps in capturing the heat of the sun and keeping out the cold. Just the design itself makes a substantial difference. I saw the dormitories where they slept and toilets where hot water could come by keeping solar thermal tubes in such a way that insulated pipes carried the water through the ground.

Most of the army/ITBP buildings, however, surprisingly, are the normal PWD type not suited to these conditions at all. We organised a seminar and workshop for all engineers etc. to learn about these designs in Leh that I also attended. I urged the concerned authorities to adopt local designs. The new Leh airport terminal was to have such a design.

The Prime Minister talked of a ‘carbon neutral Ladakh’ in last year’s Independence Day address. Finally, SECI has reportedly issued a tender for 50 MW solar plant with batteries to provide power to Leh. Similar projects can be set up for all major areas and all the larger and smaller army and para military establishments. Recently, a 5 MW plant has also reportedly started in Zanskar. No area is better suited for solar with storage than Ladakh. Now with grater troop reinforcements there, all this becomes an even more urgent.

The writer is former Secretary MNRE and former Chairman, UPSC,

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