The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu today called upon large institutions and public sector organisations to strive towards sustainability in their operations by using renewable energy. He suggested greater adoption of rooftop solar plants in industries and big establishments like universities and government buildings and godowns.In this regard, Shri Naidu appealed to all states and local bodies to consider adopting the model building by-laws for new buildings. He also advocated the need to make solar rooftop plants, solar water heaters and rainwater harvesting mandatory for large buildings and government organisations, along with ensuring sufficient light and ventilation.Dedicating the 1.5 Megawatt rooftop solar power plant at JIPMER, Puducherry to the nation, Shri Naidu said that India is fast-moving towards becoming the global leader for ‘energy transition’. He hailed the recent landmark of 100 Gigawatt of installed renewable energy capacity in India.Highlighting the significance of rooftop solar plants in continuing the momentum of India’s ‘energy transition’, Shri Naidu observed that rooftop plants use empty areas on buildings, generate power close to the point of consumption and reduce transmission losses.
The Vice President called for State, Central and UT governments to work together as Team India to popularise the tapping of solar energy and bring about greater awareness among people on the benefits of installing solar panels on their rooftops. He called for massive campaigns to publicize the subsidy programmes for solar rooftop systems and the resultant electricity savings.Referring to the lessons from the pandemic, Shri Naidu stressed the importance of ventilation and air circulation in buildings. "Sunlight is a natural disinfectant. Our ancestors understood this – it reflected in their planning and construction of houses”, the Vice President noted. He underscored the need to create living and working spaces with ample ventilation and natural light in order to maintain good health.Shri Naidu also commended medical institutions like JIPMER for showing extraordinary resolve during the pandemic and rising to the occasion. He said that due to the collective efforts of such institutions, doctors, medical staff, and healthcare workers, the country has been fighting the pandemic effectively.Lt. Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Chief Minister, Shri N. Rangasamy, Speaker, Puducherry Assembly, Shri Embalam R. Selvam, Lok Sabha MP Shri V. Vaithilingam, MLA from Puducherry, Shri V. Aroumougame, Director, JIPMER, Puducherry, Dr. Rakesh Aggarwal and others were present during the event.