World bank has indicated to invest $ 300 million on Green Resilient Integrated Development Programme for India’s Himachal Pradesh
RH DESK
NEW DELHI, FEBRUARY 7
The World Bank has indicated that it is keen on the Green Resilient Integrated Development programme for the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh with an estimated cost of $ 300 million (25000 INR)
The Himachal government aims to achieve the target of making the state a ‘Green Energy State’ by the year 2025.
A statement on Monday said that Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu held a meeting with a team of World Bank officials in Shimla to deliberate on measures to be adopted to achieve the target of ‘Green Energy State’ by 2025, with the assistance of the World Bank.
The World Bank team was led by John Roome, Regional Director (Sustainable Development), South Asia Region.
“The World Bank indicated that it is keen on Green Resilient Integrated Development programme for the State with Basin approach with an estimated cost size of ₹2500 crore ($300 million) depending upon the technical analysis, which may be enhanced further,” said the statement.
“As a step towards achieving the target, the State has fixed a time-bound action plan to achieve installation of 200 MW solar power energy projects in next nine months and the state will acquire more land for the installation of 500 MW by end of the year 2024,” the statement quoted the Chief Minister as saying.
“Transformation towards adoption of Electric Vehicles in the State is a top priority and I hope for generous contribution and launch of some key programmes from the World Bank for this purpose,” said Sukhu, adding that maximum departments would be switched over to Electric Vehicles (EVs) by next year in the first phase.
Sukhu added that the State is all set to go ahead in line with the National Green Hydrogen Energy Mission in a big way apart from the production.
“Though the technique of production of green hydrogen is expensive yet the government will consult Indian Oil Corporation for the same as IOC has taken the first significant step towards Green Hydrogen Economy in India with the commissioning of the country’s first pure Green Hydrogen pilot plant in the Northeast. The government is committed to making Himachal as the first non-polluted State by reducing carbon emissions completely,” he said.
Roome said that the EV policy envisioned by the Chief Minister would be taken up on priority and shortly a team from the Bank would visit the State for technical analysis.
