Development of Solar Cities *Smt. Kalpana Palkhiwala*

In India, several cities and towns are experiencing 15% growth in the peak electricity demand. This rapid rise in demand has resulted in most of the cities and towns are facing severe electricity shortages. Thus managing energy demand has emerged as a priority for the local governments and Municipal Corporations. An action plan, therefore, needs to be developed which would lead to reduction in conventional energy consumption, besides reducing enormous amount of CO2 emission in the atmosphere by way of using energy conservation and renewable energy devices and systems.
Accordingly, a programme on ¡¥Development of solar cities¡¨ has been developed to promote the use of Renewable Energy in Urban Areas by providing support to the Municipal Corporations for preparation and implementation of a Road Map to develop their cities as Solar Cities. Objectives

The objectives of the programme are to enable Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to address energy challenges at City level; to provide framework and support to ULBs to prepare a Master Plan including assessment of current energy situation, future demand and action plans; to build capacity in ULBs and create awareness among all sections of civil society; to involve various stakeholders in the planning process; and to oversee the implementation of sustainable energy options through public - private partnerships.

Physical Targets

A total of 60 cities are proposed to be developed as ¡§Solar Cities¡¨ during the 11th Plan period. At least one city in each State to a maximum of five cities in a State will be supported by the Ministry. The cities included in the program will have more than 5 lakh and less than 50 lakh population.

Major activities The Programme has been designed to address challenges in delivering sustainable energy at city level through Preparation of a Master Plan within a period of one year from the date of sanctioning by the Ministry. The Master Plan prepared as per the indicative guidelines would provide total and sector-wise projections for energy demand and supply for next ten years. Further, it would provide a complete sector-wise base-line on energy utilization and GHG emissions in the city. Year-wise targets for energy conservation, renewable energy addition and GHG abatement along with the action plan for implementation will be clearly brought out in the Master Plan. Potential sources of funding from respective organizations (both public and private) for providing financial support will be identified. Before finalization, the draft Master Plan would be discussed in a Stakeholders Consultation Workshop having representation from elected representatives, local research and academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organizations, NGOs, SNA, etc. The Master Plan will have a minimum target of reduction in their energy consumption by 10% from the existing level and consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.

The programme will also include setting up of ¡§Solar City Cell¡¨ in the City Council which will have Senior Administrator and City Engineers for planning and implementation. A ¡§Solar City Stakeholders Committee¡¨ will be set up for advisory support involving representation from elected representatives in the municipal bodies, local research and academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organizations, NGOs, State Nodal Agencies and other relevant stakeholder. Organizing training programmes/ workshops/ business meets/ awareness camps etc. for various stakeholders such as elected representatives of the municipal bodies, municipal officials, architects/engineers, builders and developers, financial institutions, NGOs, technical institutions, manufactures and suppliers, RWAs etc. and visits/ study tours within India; Preparation of proposals for carbon financing and organizing publicity and awareness campaign through print & electronic media, would also be a part of the programme. Financial Provisions The Financial Provisions would be up to Rs. 50 Lakhs per city or town depending upon population and initiatives decided to be taken by the City Council/Administration: „« Up to Rs 10 lakhs for preparation of a Master Plan within a year „« Up to Rs. 10 lakhs for oversight of implementation during five years „« Up to Rs.10 lakhs for setting up of Solar Cell and its functioning for a period of five years. „« Remaining amount of Rs. 20 lakhs to be utilized in five years for other promotional activities. Capital/interest subsidies would be provided to the users for installation of various renewable energy devices as per the provisions of various schemes of the Ministry. Support for various other activities will also be provided as per the scheme provisions. Priority for support will be given to cities identified as potential Solar Cities. These cities will be considered as priority cities by the Ministry, IREDA and other implementing institutions for promoting the use of renewable energy devices/systems. SNAs may also request the Ministry to allocate higher targets for installation of various renewable energy devices/systems in these cities under its different schemes through subsidies. Criteria for selection of cities The programme encourages cities with high level of commitment and leadership quality. MNRE will consider the following while selection of cities: City Population, regional setting and prominence in region; Political and administrative commitment towards adoption of sustainable energies (Resolution to be passed by the City Council/Administration for implementing all the activities specified in the ¡¥Solar cities¡¦ programme); Regulatory measures taken on adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy; Potential for adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy in the city activities; Initiatives already taken by City Council/Administration/ Private Developers/ Industry/ General Public in promoting energy conservation and renewable energy; Urban Local Bodies¡¦ previous experience in involving public participation and working with all stakeholders; and Willingness to provide resources and sustenance of activities initiated under the programme. Submission of Proposals & release of funds Proposals as per the prescribed format will be submitted by the City Council/ Administration through State Nodal Agency. The proposals will be examined in the Ministry based on which 50% of the CFA recommended by an independent panel constituted for advice and guidance on implementation of the scheme will be released on sanctioned projects and rest on progressive achievements and utilization of funds released. Institution of Awards Annual awards to identified Solar Cities will be given in the form of Shields/ Certificates based on the information provided by City Council/Administration in regard to initiatives taken on developing their city as Solar City. Model Solar Cities To set an example for other cities to be developed as Solar Cities, the Ministry would develop two cities as Model Solar Cities. Financial support up to a maximum Rs.9.50 crore will be given to each of these Model Solar Cities for implementation of the Master Plan developed under the scheme from the Ministry. The support will be on 50% cost sharing basis from respective Municipal Corporation/City Administration/State Government. Release will be made after the city identified for development as Model Solar City submits its Master Plan for which a separate support is available under the scheme as per above. As the total funds of Rs. 19 cores (MNRE support of Rs. 9.50 crore & the matching grant from Municipal Corporation/City Administration/State Government) for developing a city as Model Solar City may not be sufficient, the city, in addition to this grant will be eligible to draw separate support for installation of renewable energy systems from various ongoing schemes of the Ministry wherein the present restriction on the number/ capacity of renewable energy systems/devices being supported in a city, if any, may not be applicable.
Courtesy: Press Information Bureau, New Delhi

Green Energy Summit 2009

Bangalore, India - This summit will bring together green energy experts, heads of state, top government officials, heads of large international organisations, policy makers, sustainability experts, environmentalists and global investors.

World Leaders Gather at Green Energy Summit 2009 to Plug Bailout ScenariosClean Technology, Renewable Energy, and Sustainability as Sound Engines for Economic GrowthBANGALORE, November 5, 2008 -- Don't wait for a bailout. There is none. This deepening understanding is bringing together leading green energy experts, heads of state, top government officials, heads of large international organisations, policy makers, sustainability experts, environmentalists and global investors at Green Energy Summit 2009 (GES 2009), March 4-7, 2009 to be held at the Palace Grounds, Bangalore, India.

Going green is both a corporate advantage and an opportunity for humanity to enable change. GES 2009 (www.greenenergysummit.com) will bring together the government, civil society and private business leaders in a bid to develop and drive new initiatives, provide insights, showcase sustainable product development and green business opportunities, and facilitate interaction between entities from all over the world and India.
The summit will also address policy options and practical applications that have proven successful in ramping up development of environmentally and economically sound solutions that truly benefit all stakeholders.At GES 2009, participants can:Tune in to four focus areas - Green Power, Green Buildings, Green Fuels & Transportation, Green IT. Discuss solutions to some of humanity's most compelling issues: energy security, climate change, renewable sources of energy & sustainable human development. Unlock sales opportunities in India: must-attend for International companies interested in meeting Indian buyers, partners and representatives. Find your match and shortlist potential business partners: the GES concierge will work away at your shortlist and arrange up to 6 one-on-one appointments. Expertise, advice and strategy: benefit from the expertise, credibility and mandates of a powerhouse team of influential RE and clean technology experts.

Speakers at GES 2009“GES 2009 will be a wholly interactive event with accent on the application of renewable energy and clean technologies in green power, green buildings, green fuels and transportation and green IT. The program will comprise high-level keynote sessions, expert case studies on specific themes, awards function, networking dinner and guided tours of green energy installations”, says Dr. Arcot Ramachandran, chairperson of the organising team.
Speakers include Dr. Jose Achache (Director, Group on Earth Observations), Dr. Mohamed T. El-Ashry (Chair, REN21), H.E. Corrado Clini (Director General, Ministry for the Environment Land and Sea, Italy & Chair, G8 Global Bioenergy Partnership), Dr. R.K. Pachauri (Chairman, IPCC), Dr. Dan Arvizu (Director, NREL), Dr. Jamshed J. Irani (Director, TATA Sons Limited and Chairman, Tata Quality Management Services), Michael T. Eckhart (President, ACORE & Co-chairman, WCRE), Dr. Marianne Osterkorn (International Director, REEEP), Dr. Yogi Goswami (Former President, ISES), Dr. Pramod Deo (Chairman, CERC), R Seshasayee (MD, Ashok Leyland), Nitin Desai (Special Adviser to the Secretary General for the World Summit on the Information Society), David Bohigian (Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce), Dipal C Barua (MD, Grameen Shakti), Dr Ajay Mathur (Director General, BEE), and several other important stakeholders.

Asia's largest exhibition for renewable and clean technologiesGreen Energy Expo is spread out over 10,000 sqm and will enjoy a footfall of more than 100,000. The exhibitions will have separate pavilions for Green Power, Green IT, Green Buildings, Green Fuels & Transport, Sustainable Brand Showcase, Nano in Sustainability and Biotech in Sustainability.Featuring Indian and International exhibitors from the US, Europe, Canada, Middle East and Asia Pacific, meet manufacturers, builders, vendors and investors of unconventional energy technology (solar, wind, biofuel, thermal), enterprise hardware & software technology vendors, semiconductor companies, financial institutions, venture capitalists and government bodies.
Sponsor GES 2009 and join the winner's circle“Climate change and sustainability strategies, renewable, green and clean technologies are as important for our planet as was perhaps financial jurisprudence to the current economic downturn. When the chips are down, customers and prospects will always look up to brands and businesses that are sustainable, conservative, and willing to assume corporate social responsibility for a cleaner future,” says Dilip Thomas, Steering Committee Member/Program Chair & CEO of Saltmarch Media, the organizers of GES 2009.

If you have a sustainable brand, product, or service, your presence as a sponsor at GES 2009 sends out the right signals to your various marketing initiatives including customer touch points, CSR and branding, besides demonstrating clear commitment towards a clean, green and sustainable planet.

GES 2009 is the world-class forum for varied stakeholders from the Solar, Wind, Biomass, IT, Transport, Construction, Aviation, Nanotechnology, and Biotechnology, to showcase your brand, propagate your leadership message, and unlock sales opportunities.

About Saltmarch MediaGES 2009 is conceived and organised by Saltmarch Media in association with the Renewable Energy Action Forum (REAF) — like-minded bodies that believe passionately in the role of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) in national development, reducing our dependency on fuel imports and protection of the environment. The organising committee is chaired by Dr. Arcot Ramachandran (Chairman TERI Governing Council, Former Under Secretary General UN, and Secretary, DST). Committee members include Dr. J Gururaja (Former Sr Adviser, United Nations and Adviser, MNRE, GoI), Dr. V Balasubramanian (Former Additional Chief Secretary, GoK), Dilip Thomas (Chairman & CEO, Saltmarch), A K Vora (Former MD, Tata BP Solar India, K Jairaj (Principal Secretary, Energy, GoK), Indu Britto (Group Publisher, Saltmarch Media), Shri. M N Vidyashankar (Ex-officio Principal Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka), K Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar India Limited, Dr. Bhaktavatsalam (Former Chairman, IREDA, GoI), and Dr. Harish Hande – Founder & CEO, SELCO India.For more information on GES contact the GES HotlineMobile: +91 99015 08099, Tel: +91 80 4005 1000Email: info@greenenergysummit.comKey objectivesGreen IT, green buildings, green power, green fuels

Registration details

To Register: http://www.greenenergysummit.com/registration.htmlContact DetailsContact: Shaguf MohtishamTel: +91 80 4005 1000Address: # 3/18, Corporation Building, Residency Road,Bangalore 560025,Karnataka, IndiaEmail: info@greenenergysummit.com

REPORT OF THE TASK FORCE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR ALL

Provision of affordable housing is one of the most formidable challenges that India currently faces. The 11^th Five Year Plan estimates the urban housing shortage at the commencement of Plan period at 24.7 million units, with 99% of this shortage pertaining to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Lower Income Groups (LIG).  Taking these into account,  Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation had set up a High Level Task Force on the 15th January, 2008 to look into the various aspects of providing Affordable Housing for All under the Chairmanship of Mr. Deepak Parekh, Chairman – HDFC Ltd. to submit a report on the following issues:-

1.       Developing innovative financial instruments for bringing flexibility in the housing market and examining various fiscal and spatial incentives for increasing supply of houses to economically weaker sections and Low Income families.

2.       Affordability of all categories including the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Groups (LIG) and Middle Income Groups (MIG) in terms of their income and consequent paying capability as well as other factors; recommending ways and means of enhancing accessibility of EWS/LIG groups to housing with suitable governmental support; and Recommending ways and means of enhancing accessibility of MIG groups to housing.

3.       Examining the framework of Regional Planning and Master Planning with a view to enhancing the supply of developed land and recommending legislative measures for accelerating the supply of housing units for the urban poor.

4.       Recommending measures for promotion of low cost building technologies;

5.       Suggesting steps for enhancing the supply of rental housing;

6.       Assisting the Ministry in devising an integrated strategy for in-situ slum upgradation with a view to improving the quality of habitat as well as providing the urban poor with places to work and sell; and

7.       Advising the Ministry about various types of programme initiatives with the aim of achieving the goal of “Affordable Housing for All”.

Shri Deepak Parekh, Chairman of the Task Force presented the report to Kumari Selja, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation today. A presentation on the recommendations was made before Minister, which was attended by Ms. Kiran Dhingra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Shri S.K. Singh, Joint Secretary (Housing), Dr. P.K. Mohanty, Mission Director (JNNURM) and Prof. OP Mathur.

            The Minister informed that Ministry will examine the recommendations made by the Task Force and take a view in the matter.

Recommendations of the Task Force

The Task Force has strongly recommended the need for ‘Affordable Housing’ and mentioned that delay in addressing the affordable housing problem would seriously affect India’s economic growth and poverty reduction strategies. The Task Force notes that housing is central to economic growth and has multiplier effects on employment, poverty reduction etc. The Task Force estimates that alleviating the urban housing shortage could potentially raise the rate of growth of GDP by at least 1-1.5 percent and have a decisive impact on improving the basic quality of life.

Some of the specific recommendation of the Task Force are:-

Affordable Housing

·         “Affordable Housing” be put at the centre of public policy.

·         Any attempt to fix a definition of affordable housing for a country as large and diverse as India, using the concept of “one-size-fits-all” is counter-productive. However, the Task Force
has suggested the following parameters for the purpose

 

 

 

 

 

The Task Force visualises the size of the household as five members.                            

·         Government to may undertake a separate exercise to estimate the number of households on the basis of above.

·         Data on housing starts and completions at the national and state level be made readily available and may be collected through an institutional structure.

 

Land for Affordable Housing

·         Additional lands may be brought into urban usage on a regular basis by:

·         Simplifying procedures and processes for land acquisition and conversion of agricultural lands for urban use.

·         Reviewing the processes of Master Planning and effecting such changes as are necessary for making a proper assessment of land requirements and allocation of such lands for different uses, including lands for affordable housing. 

·         Treat affordable housing as a ‘public purpose.’

·         Upward revision in the FAR/FSI, across cities of different sizes commensurate with investment in infrastructure that it will necessitate.

·         Develop detailed critical space plans, which incorporate infrastructure intensive cluster development.

·         Impose an impact fee on those benefiting from higher FAR/FSI.

·         In-situ development on public lands for addressing affordable housing issues in partnership with the Government.

·         ‘Security of tenure’ be recognised as an important and integral tool for relieving pressures on the housing market. This may undertaken through regularisation of settlements, community or cooperative ownership, security via lease, use rights, which enables in-situ development to take place.

·         The recommendations on land related issues i.e. bringing in additional lands, upward revision in the FAR/FSI and in-situ development have to be implemented in an integrated manner.

·         Improve the speed of transactions through cadastrals, computerised land records and application of e-governance to land transactions.

·         Commission a professional study, to examine the range of issues covering urban land and recommend a comprehensive, long-term urban land policy. Given the environmental concerns, “sustainable” methodologies need to be developed.

·         Need to foster an environment that would make rental housing for EWS/LIG categories a worthwhile activity to invest in.

 

Fiscal and Financial Framework

·         Increase JNNURM funds for affordable housing by 100 percent and a part of the funds be used for direct provisioning of housing for poor urban households.

·         A part of the funds be also used as supplements for in-situ development to be routed through the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs).

·         A cess of 0.5 percent on all central government taxes be credited to a dedicated Shelter Fund, to be managed by the National Housing Bank, with a budgetary support of equal amount, so as to make a long-term impact on affordable housing.

·         Permit housing finance institutions (HFIs) to access long-term External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) market, since the HFIs require long-term funding sources at the lowest cost possible to pass on to the ultimate borrowers.

·         Role of State Housing Boards be revamped and the Boards be encouraged to focus on playing a more active role in the provision of affordable housing, even if it is through public private partnerships.

·         Funds raised through the sale of land transactions by State Housing Boards must be ring fenced, with a defined proportion to be redeployed only for affordable housing.

·         Modifications in Income Tax Act for HFCs and developers engaged in affordable housing projects.

·         Reduction in stamp duty rates and registration fee for affordable housing to 2% ad valorem uniformly in all states.

·         Levy a flat charge of Rs. 1,000 on registration of equitable mortgages.

·         Bring “affordable housing” under the infrastructure definition.

·         Establish a housing finance company focusing only on housing micro-finance loans.

·         Promote household savings in the informal sector

Technology for Cost Effectiveness

·         A low-rise high-density built form is recommend as an appropriate measure for upgrading, redevelopment or construction of housing projects for the lower income groups.

Institutional Framework

·         The real estate should be regulated through a regulator and pending the legislative process for having real estate regulators in place in the States, consideration should be given to set up Ombudsman type bodies at the State level. 

·         The role of the housing and real estate Ombudsman would be to monitor JNNURM housing projects, ensure that proper appraisals are being done, collect relevant data, identify beneficiaries for JNNURM housing projects and address consumer grievances.

·          

********

AVC/MRS

Recycling Road On Fast Track6 Jun 2007, 0255 hrs IST, Megha Suri, TNN

NEW DELHI: That road repairs would invariably lead to traffic jams is a fact commuters in the city have long reconciled to. But not anymore. For the first time in the Capital, the Delhi government has decided to use a recycling technology that would enable the carpeted road to take the traffic load within a few hours of the completion of the work. In a first of its kind in the city, this environment-friendly recycling technology is being used to carpet the bumpy Mehrauli-Badarpur (MB) Road.
The 11.6-km road is being carpeted using the Canadian road recycling technology under which the asphalt of the top layer is heated and carefully removed. This is reused to make the new road unlike the generally used re-surfacing method in which another layer of asphalt is rolled onto the existing road.
From commuters' point of view, the road does not need to be closed for repair since only one lane is recycled at a time. The new road comes up faster and lasts longer too.
The project, which got the Delhi government's nod, is being carried out by Telcon Ecoroad Resurfaces Pvt Ltd (TERPL), a Tata associate company, in consultation with Central Road Research Institute (CRRI). Dr Sunil Bose, deputy director at CRRI, told Times City: "The new technology is suited for our conditions and is cost-effective and environment-friendly. It helps save the aggregate — different sizes of rocks — too."
The quantity of fresh aggregate and bitumen needed in the recycling process is about one-third, compared to overlaying, as a major quantity of asphalt is drawn from the recycled mix. This helps in conserving the environment because aggregate comes from cutting hills, and bitumen from crude oil — both of which are finite natural resources. Since 100% aggregate from the existing road is recycled, less trees will have to be cut to make roads, resulting in a major saving of natural resources.
In terms of cost, making a recycled road costs about Rs 250/sq m as against conventional overlaying at Rs 200/sq m. "Even though this seems more, recycling works out cheaper in the long run," said H K Sehgal, TERPL's chief operating officer.
Sehgal explained that in the conventional overlaying process, since new aggregate layers are added one after another, the height of the road gets increased over the years. Authorities need to raise the height of street furniture like traffic signals, streetlights and the central verge and footpaths after every few years, which is expensive. The new technology removes the top 60 mm of the road surface, so its height remains unaltered.
Resurfacing affects only the top 40 mm of a road, which forms part of the new layer. But if the road has deeper cracks, the new layer tends to develop potholes faster with load. In recycling, experts say, the road is heated which causes bitumen to creep into deeper cracks repairing them as well.
The new technology uses an assembly line of seven machines which are made to pass over the stretch in a line. And as the last machine, a road-roller, moves past, the road-recycling process is complete.
Each of the machines has a different role to perform. For the process, the top layer of the road — about 60 mm of asphalt — is heated by the first two machines. This is done to melt the bitumen in the asphalt mix so that the pieces of aggregate can be separated and used again. The next machine, a miller, cuts the surface and stores the asphalt mix removed from the worn-out road.
The material from the road is generally of reduced strength, compared to the norms prescribed by Indian Roads Congress, because of withering by use. The composition is rejuvenated by adding fresh bitumen and aggregate. The new mixture — approved after stringent lab and on-site tests — is put in a mixer, from where it flows on a paver machine, attached to the mixer. A conveyer belt on the paver dispenses the required quantity of recycled asphalt on the road. This is levelled by two road-rollers, with steel and rubber tyres. The new road is made at a speed of three metres per minute.
TERPL has made two roads using the same technology in Jamshedpur and Baroda. But Mehrauli-Badarpur Road is their first government road-recycling project in India. PWD engineer-in-chief R Subramanian said that the civic body is also going to remove all encroachments and mend broken footpaths.
And if the road passes the test, the government is planning to redo several other important corridors using the same technology before the Commonwealth Games.
megha.suri@timesgroup.com
Courtesy: Times of India

A cooking revolution now in India!

In an endeavour to address the increasing and harmful impact of Indoor Air Pollution in India, Envirofit today announced the launch of a range of clean burning biomass cookstoves in the country. Designed by an international team of globally recognized scientists and engineers, the cookstoves reduce toxic emissions by as much as 80%, while using 50% less fuel and reducing cooking cycle time by 40%. The cookstoves have been developed as a result of a partnership between Envirofit and Shell Foundation (UK) initially launched in 2007 to engineer and deliver clean burning biomass stoves that are affordable and attractive to people who are impacted by Indoor Air Pollution (IAP).

“Biomass (wood, crop waste and animal dung) is likely to remain the primary cooking fuel for a large majority of rural Indian households for many years to come. Against this background and the alarming number of annual of indoor air pollution-related deaths worldover, we are committed to developing products that will make a significant contribution to healthier and cleaner living,” said Harish Anchan, General Manager of Envirofit India Pvt Ltd. “Through the stoves we have developed, we are providing women an opportunity to continue to cook as they would before, but in an environment that is less polluting and hazardous.” Envirofit is a US based non profit corporation that designs, manufactures and markets world-class engineered technology products to improve the quality of human life across the globe.

The Envirofit cookstoves burn traditional biomass fuels and are engineered to emit significantly less toxic emissions and use less fuel. Built of durable, high-quality material and engineered to address the unique cooking habits of Indian women, the Envirofit cookstoves are a result of over five years of research and testing in coordination with internationally recognized academic institutions such as Colorado State University. Available in 5 models and priced between Rs 500/ and Rs 2000/, the cookstoves are currently available in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and will be introduced in other states across the country in a phased manner. They are aesthetically designed with high-quality materials and available in a range of colours with single pot and multipot cooking options. The stoves have already successfully undergone pilot testing in Chitradurga and Dharmapuri. Certified under the most stringent environmental testing conditions in the USA, the cookstoves are currently awaiting BIS certification.

“Although cooking habits in semi-urban and rural India are steeped in tradition and perpetuated by myths, the response to our stoves has been very strong as each stove has been developed based on extensive market research and local customer insights,” said Harish Anchan. “We are in discussion with financing institutions for low cost financing options to provide additional options for families to buy the stoves.”

Envirofit cookstoves are now being made available in over 700 villages in Karnataka and 300 villages in Tamil Nadu through a multi-tier distribution strategy. Envirofit’s aim is to develop local and regional enterprises through the channel network so that the business becomes self sustaining. The current channel network in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu includes dealers, distributors, village entrepreneurs as well as not for profit organizations like MYRADA, the Tamil Nadu Foundation and the Cauvery Women’s Federation. Envirofit is targeting over 40 channel partners throughout the two states with roughly 600 outlets planned by the end of 2008. Significant business opportunities exist for local entrepreneurs, distributors, and retailers as Envirofit plans to increase its footprint across India by 2010.

“There are an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year due to toxic indoor air pollution (IAP). We are proud to be partnered with Envirofit International to introduce clean-burning wood stove technology in India while employing the first market-based business model,” said Ajit Abraham, Shell Foundation India who supports the project as part of their Breathing Space Program. ”The aim is to see 10 million stoves sold in five countries in the next five years.” Established by Shell Group in 2000 as an independent, UK registered charity, Shell Foundation’s mission is to develop, scale-up and promote enterprise-based solutions to the challenges arising from the impact of energy and globalization on poverty and the environment. The Breathing Space Program aims to achieve a significant long-term reduction in deaths related to IAP.

Globally, reliance on solid fuels is one of the 10 most important threats to public health. Indoor Air Pollution in India results from burning biomass (like wood, crop waste and animal dung) during cooking in the home. The toxic emissions and smoke from this cooking claims as many as 500,000 lives in India every year, most of whom are women and children due to their increased exposure in the home. One person around the world dies every 20 seconds from the cumulative effects of IAP, resulting in approximately 1.5 million deaths per year. India accounts for 80% of the 600,000 premature deaths that occur in south-east Asia annually due to exposure to IAP. The World Health Organisation estimates that pollution levels in rural Indian kitchens are 30 times higher than recommended levels and six times higher than air pollution levels found in New Delhi



- End -

About Envirofit

Founded in 2003, Envirofit International, Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that develops engineered solutions to improve the human condition on a global scale, with a primary emphasis on applications in the developing world. Envirofit India Private Ltd was formed in 2007 to research, market and deliver clean burning cookstoves to the Indian market. Envirofit utilizes the same rigorous product-development methodology and protocols used in modern industry to develop and commercialize energy-efficient, pollution-reducing technologies that have the greatest potential positive impact on global environmental, economic, and public health issues. For more information, visit Envirofit International's website at http://www.envirofit.org or Envirofit International’s cookstoves website at http://www.envirofitcookstoves.org. For channel opportunities in India contact Envirofit India at 080 41153808 or 9343333722.

About Shell Foundation

Shell Foundation was established by Shell Group in 2000 as an independent, UK registered charity (no.1080999) operating with a global mandate. It focuses on enterprise-based solutions to poverty and environmental challenges linked to the impact of energy and globalisation. It acts like an investor, identifying financially sustainable solutions to these challenges that can be taken to scale and replicated to achieve global impact. By 2010 the Foundation will have used $75 milllion to leverage $350 million from other organizations.

Melissa Arulappan/ Vp & Director Devpt / Corporate Voice Weber Shandwick
Phone: 08025253891

Source/ Courtesy: India PRWire

Changes in project

Dear All

Due to some unexpected developments there are a lot of changes in the project and the management commitee. The changes are to discussed on Sunday, May 18, 2008 in delhi and the same shall be notified on this blogpost.