Daijiworld Media Network - (DC)
Pavagada, Mar 22: World's biggest Solar Park built in Pavagada in Karnataka has been recognized worldwide. 'The Los Angeles Times' published a report titled 'The biggest solar parks in the world are now being built in India' on the solar park which has been retweeted by the leading Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
The information was shared by the 'Rahul Gandhi fans from Belagavi' page recently.
The first phase of the 2,000 megawatts (MW) solar park was inaugurated on March 1 in the barren land of Pavagada region in Tumakuru. The park which is called 'Shakti Sthala' will generate 600 MW in the first phase and is set up at the cost of Rs 16,500 crore. Spread over 13,000 acres and five villages, the park is part of the 'Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021' aiming to produce environment friendly power sources to meet the increasing power needs of Karnataka.
CM Siddaramaiah too re-tweeted the LA Times report and said, "And our vision for 2025 is to produce at least 50% of our power needs from renewable. We have laid the foundation for this dream & hopeful of achieving it in the next 5-7 years."
Overwhelmed by the international praise for the park from stars like Leonardo Karnataka energy minister D K Shivakumar tweeted, "Happy to see the World's Largest Solar Park at 'Shakti Sthala' Pavagada & Karnataka's revolutionary progress in the Renewable Energy sector being recognized worldwide."
His cabinet colleague IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge tweeted, "All credit to DK Shivakumar for his Herculean effort in achieving this feat. The biggest solar parks in the world are now being built in India."
The LA Times article quotes Deepak Krishnan, manager for the energy program at the World Resources Institute, who says, "This is a model India is trying to export to other developing countries...It's the purpose of the International Solar Alliance — to show that you can go on a massive transition, and that these are not Western models but something we have developed for ourselves."