DELHI GOVT EASES RULES FOR SOLAR PROJECTS ON FARMLAND, REMOVES 'CLU' REQUIREMENT

As a move to accelerate Delhi’s march towards becoming India’s solar capital, Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood on Monday announced the simplification of rules for setting up solar plants on agricultural land.

- TIKAM SHARMA

Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood

In an important policy clarification, the government stated that the installation of elevated solar systems does not amount to a violation of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, effectively doing away with the long-pending requirement of obtaining ‘Change in Land Use’ (CLU) permission for such renewable energy projects.

Explaining the decision, Sood said the step would remove decades-old regulatory bottlenecks that had hampered the growth of solar energy in the national capital. He pointed out that the new directive will allow farmers to earn additional income by generating solar power while continuing farming activities beneath the elevated solar structures.