Government is contemplating floating a special fund in the power sector to check environmental degradation, Union Power Minister Suresh Prabhu said in New Delhi on Tuesday. “I had recommended a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) contributing one per cent of the cost of power project for environment saving activities. I will moot a similar idea here and it will start operating soon,” Prabhu said at the environment summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He said that all power plants will have to set norms for emission level and to meet the targets a time frame would be fixed. He also called upon the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to come forward and join hands with the government in changing the mindset of people in order to preserve a healthy environment. “We have to change the lifestyle of people and in this regard the NGOs can play a crucial role,” Prabhu said. With regard to the role of private sector in preserving the environment, Prabhu said, “We need a system where industry itself sets its own improved and stiff norms for meeting environmental challenges.
Bureau Report