Solar water heater ...[ 870 ]

EU to spread awareness on solar houses

Fri, 9 April 2010 Solar energy - Solar water heater system installed on the top of the building, India...... KURUKSHETRA: After establishing a greenhouse gas emission trading scheme for the cost-effective reduction of such emissions in community, the European Union (EU) is all set to make people aware of the solar houses. It is planning to expand its horizon in various parts of the Himalayas to save the melting glaciers. The EU climate action commissioner, Connie Hedegaard along with the ambassador and head of the delegation paid a visit to the EU projects in villages adjoining Kurukshetra on Thursday. Ellen Pedersen, a European Union delegate said that the glaciers downstream the Western Himalayas were disappearing at an alarming rate and in future it could affect their sustainability. "In the past few years, we have been constructing green houses in that particular area and in future we will building over 1,000 solar passive houses," Pedersen added. The delegate further added that a research carried by the EU showed that the glaciers in parts of Lahaul Spiti, Leh Ladakh and Kargil were melting very fast. Speaking about the projects in this region, EU climate action commissioner said that a project on risk reduction due to Regional Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) has been initiated in the Himalayas. "The objective of the project is to strength GLOF risk reduction efforts by promoting non-structural and community-based interventions," Hedegaard said. The EU delegates said that a project on adaption to changing water resources availability in Northern Indian, with Himalayan glacier retreat and changing monsoon pattern, was also initiated in 2009. "The project will assess the impact of Himalayan glacier retreat and recommend the appropriate response strategies," said Robert Donkers, minister counsellor environment. The delegation visited village Seonthi, Gaganpur, Rampur Gainda and Malikpur Bangar, where the EU projects have been running.