The defence estates department of the Ministry of Defense (MoD) is set to make off-grid solar power provisions mandatory for large buildings. These provisions are likely to carry incentives in the form of rebates and space exemptions.
These rules could be applicable in the cantonment areas, implied by their inclusion in the recently-released draft of the new building bylaws of defense estates.
The bylaws are expected to take effect in the first quarter of 2017, after public comment and approval by the MoD.
senior official of the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) are of the opinion that a lot of their officials and members had wanted to include these provisions as new bylaws, and so it is heartening to see the Centre include such provisions in the new bylaws, especially when the government has been investing in solar power on an unprecedented level.
By Baishakhi Dutta
