The Union Territory of Diu may not be making so much to the news, but now it has set a clear example for everyone in the country to follow. Diu now totally functions on solar energy and despite having a comparative land crunch, the territory manages to make a surplus of electricity. Just within a span of three years, the union territory the place has made such a significant progress when it comes to using the renewables. People globally are bearing the brunt of the damage that is already done to the environment, be it extreme heat or coldest winters. The rising pollution leading to the climate change is one of the biggest challenges we as humans face today.

Diu has a limited geographical area of just about 42 sq km, but more than 50 acres of the land here shines silver with the solar panel installations. In the Fudam area of Diu, lies the solar park which can produce 9 MW of solar power. The solar plant was installed in two phases. The project started in 2016 and the total cost is about Rs 62.48 crore, but it all gets it worth within three years as the territory goes green with regards to electricity. From a time to importing its electricity from nearby state Gujarat, Diu is now totally self-sufficient for its needs. Daman and Diu electricity department’s executive engineer Milind Ingle told TOI, "Diu’s peak time demand for electricity goes up to 7MW and we generate about 10.5MW of electricity from solar energy daily. This is way more than the consumption demand requirement."

That's not where it stops. The next step is to explore the wind energy sources. By the year 2019, there will be windmills set up which will help in generation of another 6.8 MW. An island with a population of just about 56,000 it makes its mark in the least populated places in the country. The people here have also taken a keen interest in installing solar panels on their rooftops, which facilitates 3 MW of the generated energy. With a combination of solar and wind energy powering it, Diu will be totally self-reliant and that's the kind of example we need to look forward to setting up, in different parts of the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2018 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).