Not installed solar panel? Get ready for notice- Chandigarh Administration

CHANDIGARH:Residents of the city, owning big houses on 1 kanal area  (5445 sqft) and above may get building bylaw notices for not installing solar panels. With the last date to install solar panels on rooftops of such houses being on May 18, 2018, only about 900 people have come forward and applied to the Chandigarh administration for the same till now.
According to records, there are around 20,000 private houses throughout various sectors of the city, which are having the area of 1 kanal and above. These include both new as well as old structures.

Significantly, the Chandigarh administration on May 18, 2016, had made it mandatory for such houses to install solar panels on rooftops by adding this segment in the building bylaws. An order in this regard was also issued by the administration. Since in new houses, this condition to install the panel is already existing, the old houses were given two-year time. This is going to over in next 12 days.

“By including the said clause to install the solar panels in the houses of 1Kanal and above, we had given two years’ time to the residents. Though, the number has increased a bit in past few days as compared to the previous period, the number of residents coming forward has been meagre,” said Santosh Kumar, director, environment, science and technology and renewable energy of the Chandigarh administration.

“This is a good opportunity for the residents. We are hopeful that a good number of residents will show interest in the remaining days and apply for the same to use solar energy,” Kumar added.