World Energy Council-Indian Member Committee’s Energy Synergy Dialogue this time aimed to synergize the needs of half of billion population of rural energy poor of India. The topic of the day was “Delivering Sustainable Energy Security to Rural India”. The Chair of the session and the scientific leader of the Green Revolution Movement and Indian agricultural renaissance, Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) & Chairman M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation made this talk show exclusive. Dr. S. K. Chopra, Advisor (Former Special Secretary), MNRE  was the guest speaker and Mr. Anil Razdan, Secretary, Ministry of Power/Chairman (WEC-IMC) & Mr. R. S. Sharma, CMD, NTPC & Member Secretary also addressed the gathering.

Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, MP (Rajya Sabha) & Chairman M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation addressing the audience in the presence of Mr. Anil Razdan, Secy., MoP, Mr. R. S. Sharma, CMD, NTPC & Dr. S. K. Chopra, Advisor (Former Spl. Secy.), MNRE

In his welcome address Mr. R. S. Sharma shared that over 2 billion people around the world are without access to modern cooking fuels and 1.7 billion people are without access to electricity and India alone accounts for 40% of this population. He said that while the country is surging ahead economically at a growth rate of 8-9% of GDP, the need of the day is to ensure that the benefits trickle down to economically underprivileged section of the society.

Dr. S. K. Chopra, Advisor (Former Special Secretary), MNRE  delivering his presentation on occasion of 5th Energy Synergy Dialogue

Dr. S. K Chopra in his impressive presentation, emphasized that any endeavor to rural energy development should be pro-poor, pro-women and pro-nature. Food security, nutrition security and ecology security require to be closely linked with Energy Security. Highlighting these linkages he expressed that even the fuel to cook the food is a greater constraint then the food itself. Agriculture the largest producer of bio-mass itself needs energy for harvesting, food production and transportation. Recognizing the essentiality of social engineering to involve the people, he called for Sustainability Science, a mix of Physical Science & Social Science. His model for sustainable energy security to rural India proposed an integrated rural energy programme with large utilities like NTPC to supply the grid power supported by distribution generation projects at local level which are self sustainable.

Mr. Anil Razdan recommended integration of Rural & Urban Energy programme .His prescription was that non conventional energy sources should not be limited to rural areas only but the lead for demonstration of usage of non-conventional energy sources should  be taken up by urban megacities. He advocated for a power sector wherein freedom and facility to use electricity is provided to the people.

Chairing the session, the Living Legend & Father of Economic Ecology, Pro. M. S. Swaminathan, made three keypoints one that Energy Security has correlation with food Security; costs of food goes up with the cost of energy. Second that local people need to empowered for rural energy development. The democratic setup of Gram Panchayat can be used to facilitate its organization, management and administration. He suggested that we must launch community rural energy manager in villages. Appreciating the initiative of talk show by WEC-IMC, he quoted that synergy in energy use is the pathway to sustainable energy security and wished for Indian Member Committee continued success in its effort to take energy to every home and heart in the country

Mr. J. K. Mehta, GM, WEC-IMC, Mr. R.S. Sharma, CMD, NTPC, Dr. S. K. Chopra, Advisor (Former Spl. Secy.), MNRE, Prof. M. S. Swaminathan, MP (Rajya Sabha) & Chairman M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and Mr. Anil Razdan, Secy., MoP with  professional on the occasion of 5th  Energy Synergy Dialogue of WEC-IMC

Followed by a lively discussion amongst the participants on the theme, the session eventually ended with the conclusion that “Take power to the people, they will do the rest.”