Houses sans rooftop solar power plant to get EO notice

Ramkrishan Upadhyay

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 15

The Estate Office, UT, will conduct a survey of residential houses measuring 500 sq yd or above where rooftop solar power plants have not been installed. The two-year deadline fixed by the UT Administration for installing these will expire in May.

In a notification issued in May 2016, the UT Administration had made installation of rooftop solar power plants mandatory in residential houses measuring 500 square yard and above and group housing societies.

While installation of rooftop solar power plants was made mandatory for new houses with immediate effect, the owners of existing houses were given two years to comply with the direction.

Sources said not many people had adhered to the UT directive, defeating the purpose of the notification.

The Government of India had selected Chandigarh to develop it as a model solar city and set a target of installation of 50 MW solar power plants, both at residential and government buildings, by 2022.

While the Chandigarh Renewal Energy, Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has successfully installed solar plants in majority of the government buildings and offices, the cold response of residents to the Centre’s initiative has been a cause for concern for the UT Administration.

Sources said in the recent meeting of senior officials, it was decided that the Estate Office would start a survey of the houses that have failed to comply with the direction. Notices will be served on the owners of the houses where rooftop solar plants were not installed.

A UT official said if all residents agreed to install rooftop solar plants, it would be beneficial to both the Administration and the residents. He said while the Administration would be able to meet its target, it would reduce the power bill of the house.