New Delhi: Union urban development ministry has decided to turn smart cities in the country energy efficient by making use of technology in several sectors in the days to come.
The ministry Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Energy Efficiency Services Limited, a public sector enterprise, for improved energy use in service deliveries. The benefits of the plan will be rolled out to smart cities in a phased way.
The plan will benefit two smart cities – Bhubaneswar and Rourkela – which had been included under the smart city mission by the ministry. The plan will help the cities in using energy efficient technologies for bulk water supply, public lighting, transport and consumption. The plan is slated to be introduced in the Orissa cities under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
After signing the MoU, urban development minister M Venkaiah Naidu said, “Energy audit and improving energy use efficiency is one of the mandated reforms under the AMRUT plan and this initiative would help the cities significantly. This will substantially reduce cost of operation of water supply schemes and public lighting and benefit citizens,”
In the MoU, it was stated that energy accounts for 40 per cent to 60 per cent of the cost of water supply in urban areas and energy efficiency interventions can cut costs by 25 per cent to 40 per cent, depending on the type and age of machines being used for bulk water supply. Quoting Central Electricity Authority it has been stated that urban local bodies can save about `6,000 crore per annum through such interventions in water supply and public lighting alone besides avoiding the need for 1,150 MW of power.
As per the MoU, EESL will develop overall strategy for taking up energy-efficient projects in the cities. To start with, it will take up implementation of energy efficient pump sets in public water works and sewage systems to be followed by similar interventions for public lighting, transport systems and buildings.
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