Union Power Minister assures adequate power for J&K during winter
New Delhi, Dec 8: Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh Friday assured adequate power for Jammu and Kashmir during winter and lauded the Jammu and Kashmir government’s initiatives toward energy conservation.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that co-chairing a high level meeting to review power sector of J&K with Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha, the union minister, while addressing the meeting, said that a senior officer from the ministry would act as the Nodal Officer, responsible for continuous monitoring of power situation and addressing any gaps from the Central Pool to ensure adequate power supply to J&K.
The union minister directed the project implementing agency, RECPDCL to expeditiously implement smart metering, ensuring end to end solution including integration with MDM, enabling pre-paid functionality and other smart features so that benefits of the technology are effectively passed on to the consumers.
He directed the CPSUs engaged in RDSS implementation to promptly award and initiate execution of all projects entrusted to them, recognizing the intended impact of RDSS works in transforming J&K's power sector.
Lieutenant Governor apprised the union minister of continuance of obsolete wires and other network elements especially in rural areas, which cause undue power interruptions.
The union minister called for a comprehensive proposal for the same and assured sufficient funding for system revamping.
Apart from the technical matters, a notable highlight of the meeting was the launching of 4E Wave - a student-led national movement for energy conservation by the union minister and the LG of J&K.
While launching the 4E Wave - a student-led national movement for energy conservation, the union minister was elated to know that the youth of J&K has taken the initiative to launch a national movement on energy conservation, which holds the potential to make a substantial impact on the nation's energy conservation efforts.
The 4E Wave movement, first of its kind, encapsulates four key elements including eco-friendliness; promoting energy-saving practices that are environmentally friendly, economy; emphasising energy-saving solutions that lead to economic benefits for individuals and communities, education; focusing on educating the public about energy - saving methods and their importance and empowerment; empowering individuals and communities to take active roles in conserving energy.
The movement strives to promote sustainable practices and instill a sense of responsibility in individuals and communities to save energy.
Originating from the students of Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET), Jammu, this youth led movement, launched with the support of J&K Power Development Department and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Union Ministry of Power, invites individuals across the nation to contribute to the vital cause of energy conservation.
During the launching ceremony of the 4E wave, a web portal www.4ewave.com was also unveiled by the dignitaries, which will provide an interactive platform to the citizens nationwide for information and resource sharing related to energy conservation.
The user-friendly portal requires a simple registration process for onboarding in the movement and the participants are provided with certificates of acknowledgment on registration.
Any Indian citizen can be a part of this campaign.
Beyond this recognition, participants enjoy a wealth of benefits, including personalised energy-saving tips tailored to their consumption patterns, regular updates on latest developments in energy conservation, and a dynamic platform for sharing articles on energy conservation for publication in the e-magazine named ‘e-kshitij’ to be published quarterly.
Additionally, the portal would host contests focusing on energy conservation, providing an interactive experience for users.
The Union Minister emphasised that the 4E Wave movement marks a resolute commitment to mitigate the impact of harmful carbon emissions, and paving the way for a sustainable energy future.
By actively engaging in the 4E Wave campaign, individuals are not only taking steps toward reducing carbon footprints but are also fostering a collective responsibility for a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
He invited all Indian citizens to be part of this impactful journey toward energy conservation and sustainable future.
The LG appreciated the active participation of J&K youth in this noble cause. He commended the efforts of state designated agency for energy conservation, J&K Power Development Department, Principal GCET Jammu and Director General BEE, MoP for supporting the campaign.
The LG said that this initiative would significantly contribute towards promoting the National Cause of Energy Conservation and play a crucial role in safeguarding the planet.
Besides, the dignitaries also launched a real time portal www.dtreportjk.in for tracking Distribution Transformer’s damage status and replacement time during the occasion.
The portal provides the citizens with the up-to-date information concerning damage status of Distribution Transformers in their respective areas.
The portal aligns with the concern of the LG of J&K, who consistently emphasises for minimising the replacement time of damaged DTs in both urban and rural areas, for avoiding inconvenience to the public.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department (PDD), H Rajesh Prasad, presented a detailed overview of the department's recent achievements.
It was informed that J&K has taken several proactive steps to ensure sufficient availability of power as a part of both short term and medium term measures. In this direction, PPAs for 2500 MW have been signed during the current year, aiming to double the existing power availability in J&K in coming years.
