With special focus on solar energy, the State government has come out with the Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy 2012 and also taken several other measures to boost solar energy generation in the State.

At a meeting organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, here on Saturday, Electricity Minister Natham R. Viswanathan said that all new government buildings would go in for solar energy. Houses constructed under the Green House Scheme also went in for solar power. Further, the government was installing one lakh solar street lights.

The government has announced its intention to promote roof-top vegetable gardens across the State. This is to be achieved through the provision of do-it-yourself kits and technical support.

The stay prevents civic body from carrying out works till April 30.

Siruthuli’s study findings to be released today

It is 10 years now since a citizens’ initiative to rejuvenate water bodies began in the city. Eight tanks in the city and another in the periphery were desilted. So were the canals that brought water to these tanks. The efforts proved to be good in 2004 when a good monsoon filled up the tanks. But, 10 years down the line – after Siruthuli’s launch in 2003 – the tanks and canals present a sordid sight: some are bone dry while the others hold more of sewage.

It was announced in Corporation Budget

The Coimbatore Corporation Council on Monday accorded approval for the waste-to-energy project. At the urgent meeting, the Council decided to implement the project, which will use 500 metric tonnes waste a day to generate power. The Council approving of the project comes days after Finance and Taxation Committee Chairperson R. Prabhakaran made an announcement in this regard in the Corporation Budget for 2013-14.

Singanallur MLA allocates the total amount

Without much of a fanfare, the Coimbatore Corporation with the support of Singanallur MLA R. Chinnasamy, has gone about installing solar street lights. According to Deputy Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation, S. Sivarasu, the civic body has thus far installed 220 solar street lights and is in the process of installing 50 more. Each of the lights is powered by 27 watt bulbs.

As a first step, all establishments under the civic body to set up solar panels on rooftops

The rooftops of all establishments in Coimbatore Corporation limits will soon turn energy generation stations with the civic body planning to install solar panels. The civic body in a recent resolution said that based on a Government Order from the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, the civic body proposed to install solar panels on the terrace of all its establishments.

Coimbatore Integrated Waste Management Limited has begun preliminary works for plant

Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s proposal to encourage municipalities to go in for waste-to-energy projects has come as a shot in the arm for the Coimbatore Corporation. In his Budget speech on Thursday, the Minister said: “India tosses out several thousand tonnes of garbage each day. We will evolve a scheme to encourage cities and municipalities to take up waste-to-energy projects in PPP mode, which would be neutral to different technologies. I propose to support municipalities that will implement waste-to-energy projects through different instruments such as viability gap funding, repayable grant and low cost capital.”

To link Siruvani distribution network with Pilloor network

To overcome any difficulty it may have on the water supply front in Summer 2013, the Coimbatore Corporation has initiated a few measures. Disclosing the details, Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy said that the civic body planned to link the Siruvani distribution network with the Pilloor distribution network at a few points in the city.

Civic body will be able to reduce power consumption to the extent of 57,53,071 kwh a year

The Coimbatore Corporation will replace conventional bulbs with 22,000 LED lamps, Mayor S.M. Velusamy said here on Tuesday. He was speaking at the seminar on ‘Climate Resilient Action: Accelerating Urban Development and Finance in India’, organised by Cities Development Initiative for Asia and the Corporation in partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network and ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability.