Solar water heating system for Vrindavan ashrams in the offing

Government is keen that ashrams in Vrindavan, where large numbers of widows reside, set up solar water heating systems and is working to install the facility in one of the ashrams.
New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah today said he had received a representation in this regard from an ashram and has asked the department's secretary to find ways to install the system.
"We are looking into how we can provide solar water heating system to this ashram. We hope others will also be able to utilise it and see how effective it is," he said at a function where awards were given to selected solar power developers.

Lakhs of Hindu widows live in various ashrams in Vrindavan and their living condition is generally very poor, various studies have found.
Abdullah said solar system would be of some help to these "unfortunate ladies".
"Despite the big potential of solar systems in saving energy, we are not able to propagate them because we have very few manufacturers and people to dispense it," he said.

Manufacturing is mostly confined to Maharashtra and Karnataka and expertise is very limited.
Talking about lack of expertise in the field, Abdullah said installers had ended up setting up the facility at the governor's residence in Jammu & Kashmir incorrectly following which he had complained about the same.

"We need much more propagation. We need much more people to sell it and service it," he said.
In many hotels which have installed the solar water heating system, the power bill has gone down by as much as 60 percent, he said.
States like Gujarat and Rajasthan have done a very good work and others need to take it up, he said.