Power Ministry will work on proposal to build solar houses in villages: Manohar Lal Khattar

Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today appreciated the suggestion of Haryana Energy Minister Anil Vij to set up solar houses in villages to ensure daytime electricity supply for farmers and said that the Union Power Ministry would move ahead on this suggestion.

Vij said the state government is continuously working to promote solar energy in Haryana so the state becomes self-reliant in the electricity sector. He said the Energy Department would soon run a pilot project for the installation of solar houses, and if successful, it will be expanded to other regions of the state.

Vij was addressing senior officers from the central government and the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan during the Regional Power Ministers’ Conference (Northern Region) chaired by Khattar.

Vij directed the Department of New and Renewable Energy to construct solar houses in villages to ensure daytime electricity supply to farmers, enabling them to irrigate their fields and meet their power needs without depending on other sources.

While currently 10 kW solar panels are installed in homes, dedicated solar houses are more feasible for higher capacity needs. Farmers require reliable power supply for their fields, regardless of the source—be it solar, Bhakra or central pool. Therefore, a comprehensive solar project should be implemented to benefit all stakeholders.

Vij also proposed a policy to regulate the installation of poles, substations and transmission lines over agricultural fields and residential areas to prevent inconvenience to stakeholders. He suggested underground cabling in densely populated or sensitive areas and emphasised the need for a technical feasibility study. Safety standards must also be established to prevent future issues. He noted that Haryana’s transmission system ranks among the best in the country.

He suggested that the Union Ministry of Power formulate policies/standards to ensure that the transmission system remains functional during disasters like floods and storms. Vij also called for a national cyber security policy to safeguard the power sector from cyber attacks.