Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today while chairing a meeting to review the feasibility of establishing a large-scale Solar Park in Jammu & Kashmir under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) Solar Park Scheme directed the divisional administrations to expedite the identification of suitable, encumbrance-free land parcels for the project.
The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Forests; Secretary, Science & Technology; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/ Kashmir; Managing Director, JKPDC; and other senior officers.
Taking a district-wise review, the Chief Secretary stressed the importance of identifying sizeable land patches that are not earmarked for other developmental works and can be swiftly transferred for establishing clean energy infrastructure in the UT.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the Science & Technology Department for the progress achieved so far and the formulation of modalities required for advancing the initiative. He emphasized that harnessing solar power at large scale is pivotal for strengthening J&K’s renewable energy portfolio and reducing dependence on conventional power sources.
Secretary, Science & Technology, Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, briefed the meeting on the contours of the MNRE Solar Park Scheme and highlighted successful models implemented in Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.
The meeting also discussed the range of opportunities for J&K in the renewable energy sector, various implementation models available under the Solar Park Scheme, and the preliminary land parcels identified by the Divisional Commissioners. It further deliberated on key financial parameters, cost implications, and the overall viability of establishing the Solar Park in the UT.
The Chief Secretary directed all concerned departments to work in close coordination and complete land feasibility assessments at the earliest, enabling J&K to take a significant step towards adoption of clean and sustainable energy.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary chaired a crucial meeting to review the updated Action Plan on Climate Change for Jammu & Kashmir, calling for a coordinated and time-bound approach to strengthen the climate resilience efforts here.
The meeting besides Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, and Commissioner Secretary, Forests was attended by Chairperson, J&K Pollution Control Committee; Secretary, Science & Technology; Secretary, Health & Medical Education; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Secretary, Transport; Commissioner, JMC/SMC, and senior officers from other concerned departments.
While reviewing the updated Action Plan, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for each department to treat climate change as a priority subject and assign dedicated officers to integrate climate-responsive measures into their policies, programmes, and annual work plans.
He directed the Forest Department, the nodal agency for the Action Plan, to hold inter-departmental consultations to clearly outline the roles, responsibilities, and resource commitments of each department.
He emphasised that effective implementation will require every department to realign activities with emission reduction targets and climate adaptation goals.
To ensure transparency and real-time progress tracking, the Chief Secretary instructed the departments to develop an online portal where each stakeholder department will regularly update details of climate-related interventions.
Speaking during the meeting, ACS Jal Shakti, Shaleen Kabra, underscored the importance of holding detailed stakeholder consultations to chart out the way forward. He called for reviewing ongoing projects across sectors to assess their alignment with the updated climate targets and exploring opportunities to scale up successful initiatives.
The Commissioner Secretary, Forests, Sheetal Nanda, highlighted the significance of the updated Action Plan in the context of J&K’s fragile ecological landscape.
The Chairperson, J&K Pollution Control Committee, informed that the earlier Action Plan had been submitted to the MoEF&CC, GoI, for itsapproval by the Steering Committee for funding. The original plan consisted of 11 missions, with 235 adaptation and mitigation actions proposed by 10 line departments, including 125 high-priority actions.
The revision was necessitated to align the UT’s climate roadmap with India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 2015, which call for updated vulnerability assessments, enhanced climate modelling capacity, greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory systems, and convergence of ongoing schemes with climate objectives pertaining to 17 departments now
