With the closed civil nuclear deal between India and Australia, the NDA govt. of India comes up with an 8 point plan with an aim(although a very bold one!) to provide 24*7 power for all domestic, industrial and commercial purposes.
- Rationalization of coal supplies and focus on improving productivity and efficiency of coal production. Target: coal output of 1 billion ton by 2019
- Restructuring the coal regulatory body giving it more independent power in decision taking and its implementation
- Steps to control of coal theft (Yes! coal theft actually amounts to around $1.5 billion)
- Nuclear energy generation
- Hydel plants in J&K on fast track basis
- Faster environmental and forest clearances (cleared long-pending transmission projects worth Rs 12,272 crore)
- More focus on green energy sources-wind and especially solar energy(solar ultra mega power plant in Sambhar)
- Gas based energy generation of worth 24,148 MW
Merits: Firstly the government has begun to focus on efficiency and productivity of energy reserves (from the first 3 points above). Secondly, the 8 point plan reflects that the government is determined to explore renewable and nuclear energy sources(last 5 points above).
Possible improvements: One possible area that might need serious thinking--- instead of concentrating on generation alone (which resulted in looking at it as an isolated system independent of transmission and distribution), we have to start making efforts to integrate and improve the whole process of "generation, transmission and distribution".
It is high time that we realize that 'the whole is greater than the sum of its parts' (true,even though its entirely counter-intuitive!)
