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MUMBAI: In an edition of CNN?s Eco Solutions, Mumbai based international correspondent, Mallika Kapur takes viewers on a scenic tour of India‘s greener side. A few small institutions to corporate India have focused on green initiatives and significant changes are visible today from cutting-edge clean technology to innovative grassroots projects. Eco Solutions Greening India captures
The impact that the green movement is making in India in a half-hour special airing 18 March 2010 at 2 pm. CNN Eco Solutions journey starts from Shirdi, a holy destination in the western region of India where solar cooking is revolutionizing life at one of India‘s most celebrated temples. Solar cookers have replaced heavy-polluting traditional stoves making it cheaper and greener for the temple to host hundreds of thousands of pilgrims visiting daily.
Next, Eco Solutions visits a remote village in South India where the solar lamp is lighting up thousands of life stories. Solar energy may be the answer to India?s huge energy deficit as today almost half of the country?s population lives without power.
Deepak Gadhia of Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. said, ?We soon realized what India needed was appropriate technology, not high technology. The most satisfying projects are the ones we do in the villages, where we can convert the whole thing into a smoke free village. We realize that it‘s not about technology, it‘s about social engineering. For those who cannot afford it, we have to social engineer so that they can pay from the profit and not from the pocket. India would change if we could have this technology in 500,000 villages in India.?
Greenpeace India Siddharth Pathak said, ?In India, you still have a long, long way to go for environment friendly technology innovation, but the potential is immense. We need to exploit that potential rather than waiting for the world to change and world technologies to come into India. I would say India can take on a leading role in developing solar or renewable technologies in the world.?
India is known around the world as a burgeoning car market and CNN?s Eco Solutions takes a closer look at India?s homegrown brand that hopes its green technology can capitalise on this potential. Kapur finds out how an electric car company has big plans for more than one billion people in India and even bigger plans for the world.
