Green Power for Tripura India

India's federal government, along with Tripura state officials, has been actively working to promote green energy through solar power.

The Tripura government has plans of replacing at least 10 percent of conventional energy use in Agartala with solar energy.

[Subash Chowdhury, Director, Tripura Renewal Energy Development Agency]:
"In Tripura, we are trying to develop solar energy power plants at different pockets where… power is not available or not likely to reach very shortly. Apart from that, for the remotest corner of the state, for the poor people, we are providing solar home lighting system, solar lantern and other solar gadgets at a very subsidized rate so that they can get the benefit of electricity which is load-shedding-free of nowadays."

Remote villages of the state are also in line to get solar power.

[Basanti Biswas, Solar Power User]:
"This (solar lighting system) is a great benefit for us, as we do not have an electricity connection and live in darkness. Now we can do lot of work during the night hours and our children can also study.”

Almost 700 hamlets and over 40 villages in remote areas have already been provided solar energy, benefiting more than 32,000 families, mostly tribals.

[Gautam Deb, Solar Power User]:
"We get hot water from this solar energy. Electricity is not being used. Without electricity we can get hot water during winters. It is very cost-effective. The minimum cost we pay is for installing solar plates."

Solar energy will also be provided to more than 200 additional villages in the state this year.