Lok Sabha Question No. 4177 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-21
Subject: Solar Energy Driven Mobile Towers
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4177 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST     MARCH, 2018

## SOLAR ENERGY DRIVEN MOBILE TOWERS

†4177. DR. RAVINDRA KUMAR RAY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to make all the mobile towers of BSNL and MTNL run on solar energy;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (d) the  number  of  BSNL  and  MTNL  mobile  towers  which  are  powered  by  solar energy; State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

(a) to (d) At present, there is no proposal to run all mobile towers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  and  Mahanagar  Telephone  Nigam  Limited  (MTNL)  on  solar energy.  As  part  of  JNNSM  (Jawaharlal  Nehru  National  Solar  Mission)  and  LWE  (Left Wing Extremism) projects, BSNL has powered 2003 mobile towers through solar energy. No mobile tower of MTNL is being run on solar energy. BSNL and MTNL have informed that  huge  capital  expenditure  (CAPEX)  and  limitation  of  space  in  urban  sites  are  the main constraints for installation of solar panel at all mobile sites.

The state/circle-wise details of mobile towers of BSNL, run on solar energy is at Annexure.

## Annexure

## Number of BSNL Towers which are powered by Solar Energy

| S.No.   | Name of Circles/State   | No. of Towers powered by SPV   | No. of Towers powered by SPV   | No. of Towers powered by SPV   |
|---------|-------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|--------------------------------|
|         |                         | Under JNNSM                    | At USOF sites                  | Under LWE Project              |
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh          | 0                              | 0                              | 57                             |
| 2       | Bihar                   | 0                              | 1                              | 250                            |
| 3       | Chhattisgarh            | 0                              | 1                              | 177                            |
| 4       | Gujarat                 | 0                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 5       | Himachal Pradesh        | 18                             | 1                              | 0                              |
| 6       | Haryana                 | 3                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 7       | Jammu & Kashmir         | 15                             | 1                              | 0                              |
| 8       | Jharkhand               | 0                              | 1                              | 816                            |
| 9       | Kerala                  | 8                              | 0                              | 0                              |
| 10      | Karnataka               | 3                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 11      | Maharashtra             | 0                              | 1                              | 62                             |
| 12      | Madhya Pradesh          | 0                              | 0                              | 16                             |
| 13      | North East              | 15                             | 4                              | 0                              |
| 14      | Odisha                  | 0                              | 1                              | 256                            |
| 15      | Punjab                  | 3                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 16      | Rajasthan               | 4                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 17      | Tamil Nadu              | 3                              | 1                              | 0                              |
| 18      | Telengana               | 0                              | 0                              | 171                            |
| 19      | Uttar Pradesh           | 6                              | 0                              | 78                             |
| 20      | Uttarakhand             | 25                             | 1                              | 0                              |
| 21      | West Bengal             | 2                              | 1                              | 96                             |
|         | TOTAL                   | 105                            | 19                             | 1979                           |

JNNSM: Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

SPV: Solar Photo Voltaic

USOF: Universal Service Obligation Fund

LWE: Left Wing Extremism.

*In other States/Circles, no tower of BSNL is running on solar energy,

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