Delhi government officials to take lessons from Gujarat on power, Yamuna issues

NEW DELHI: Delhi government is interested in learning from Gujarat model of development to address the issues of power and Yamuna cleaning in the national capital.

A team of Delhi government officials will be going to Gujarat tomorrow to study the state's solar model of power and the Sabarmati Riverfront Development Project to see if they can be replicated here.

"The team shall visit Gujarat on June 5 and 6 to see the possibility of taking up solar power projects for generating electricity," according to an official note by the Department of Environment.

In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung is understood to have apprised him of major problems facing the city including power and water shortage along with political situation in Delhi.

The decision to send the team to Gujarat assumes significant as the previous Sheila Dikshit government had attacked Gujarat's development model.

The team comprises of a number of top officials including Power Secretary, Secretary in the Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Environment Secretary and representatives of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Representatives of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Centre, Delhi Transco and private discoms will also be part of the team.

Pollution in Yamuna has become a major issue and is posing a threat to the aquatic life. Yamuna river is the lifeline for millions of people living in four states - Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi and Haryana.

According to officials, lack of sufficient number of sewage treatment plants has led to increase in the pollution level in the river.

22 drains fall into the Yamuna out of which, 18 drains fall directly into river and 4 through Agra and Gurgaon canal.

More than Rs 6,500 crore has been spent to clean the Yamuna in the last two decades but all efforts seem to have failed to yield results with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently pointing out that polluted stretch of Yamuna has increased from 500 km to 600 km.

Recently, Jung has set up a high-powered committee to look into the pollution levels in the Yamuna from industries and sewage discharge.

Shortage of power is a major issue in Delhi as areas across the city face long power cuts during peak summer months due to mismatch in demand and supply.

Delhi government has been mulling generating solar power on a large scale to bridge the gap.