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India will have one million hydrogen fuel vehicles by 2020, energy minister tells 91Èȱ¬ Hindi
In a 91Èȱ¬
Hindi special of Aapki Baat 91Èȱ¬
Ke Saath, India's Non-Conventional Energy Resources Minister, Vilas Muttemwar spoke about renewable energy resources as the answer to his country's spiralling energy needs.
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Mr Muttemwar discussed why India has been slow to respond
to its energy needs and why the mindset of consumers needs to be
changed.
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In the programme broadcast as part of the 91Èȱ¬
World Service - Fuelling the
Future mini-season which explores energy consumption
around the world, Vilas Muttemwar said India is ready for the use
of non-conventional resources in a big way: "By the year 2020, one million vehicles on our roads will be running with hydrogen fuel.
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"We have been slow to respond, to face the challenge
of our energy requirements, but we are fast catching up and if powerful
nations like America, China, Japan, Canada and Germany have a roadmap
for hydrogen energy, so do we.
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"We have huge resources of renewable energy in the
country. To begin with we have a potential of five trillion megawatts
of solar energy, 70,000 megawatts of wind energy and more than two
lakh [200,000] megawatts of hydrogen energy. We
are now tapping this potential to meet our requirements."
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Asked by 91Èȱ¬ Hindi why resources
of renewable energy were not gaining popularity in the country,
the Minister replied: "There is a widespread impression that
usage of renewable resources of energy is less cost effective in comparison
to the conventional resources.
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"I also agree that the capital cost
is high, but what we need to understand is that there is no
recurring expenditure in the usage of renewable resources.
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"The highest priority must be accorded to changing the popular mindset in the country.
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"Out of one lakh 25,000 [125,000] villages,
which are to be provided electricity under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural
Electrification Programme, our ministry was given only 25,000 villages
to provide electricity, and surprisingly the number has now gone
down to merely 12,000.
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"A number of state governments have opted out as they think it is better to be
without electricity than having it by renewable resources.
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"I am sorry
to say but presently it is being considered as a second priority
and not the first one. Individuals and organisations demand subsidy
for using renewable energy resources."
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Vilas Muttemwar also told Aapki
Baat 91Èȱ¬ Ke Saath: "Presently India has been
dependant for its energy needs on other countries and relations
with the concerned nation played an important part in this.
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"For the gas pipeline
we have to keep in mind our relations with Iran and for the nuclear energy
we have to be cautious about our relations with America.
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"To do
away with this and achieve self-dependence along with pride, we
would have to tap and harness the huge resources of renewable energy
already available to us.
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"Somehow we find that the drive is missing, and
to provide acceleration to this, a powerful movement is
required to remove the hesitation concerning the usage of renewable
energy resources in the country."
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The full text of the interview is available
at bbchindi.com
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Fuelling the Future is a week long mini-season
running on 91Èȱ¬ World Service until Saturday 18 February.
It looks at the production and consumption of energy and
explores global development and its consequences.
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Notes to Editors
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91Èȱ¬ World Service is an international
radio and online broadcaster delivering programmes and services
in 33 languages.
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It uses multiple platforms to reach 149 million listeners
globally, including SW, AM, FM, digital satellite and cable
channels.
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It has more than 2,000 partner radio stations which
take 91Èȱ¬ content, and numerous partnerships supplying content to
mobile phones.
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Its international online sites, which include audio
and visual content and offer users opportunities to interact
directly with world events, receive over 330 million page impressions
a month.
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91Èȱ¬ Hindi programmes are produced from studios in London
and New Delhi and are set in a rolling format, with news, current
affairs and features.
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The interactive morning and evening programmes,
Aaj Ke Din and Aaj
Kal bring the 91Èȱ¬ Hindi listeners news,
analysis and interviews on a range of issues, from current affairs
and careers to showbiz and sports.
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91Èȱ¬ Hindi is available on shortwave
and medium wave radio transmitters and via cable television.
Hindi speakers across the world can access 91Èȱ¬ Hindi programmes
in text and in audio at bbchindi.com
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