Lucknow’s Prince of Wales Zoological Garden has earned the unique distinction of becoming the first zoo in the country to use solar energy. Presently, all the zoo offices, the streetlights and the kitchen run on solar power. Another six months and the entire establishment will switch to this eco-friendly fuel – including the water pumps, the animal hospitals, the water heating systems, the nursery, the water power ejectors that run the fountain, the vehicles that ferry visitors within the zoo, the ticket house and even the quaint lanterns that decorate the main gate! Moreover, the irrigation system at the bio-fuel plantation in the zoo nursery will also run on sunlight.
The driving force behind this path breaking change is Zoo Director Renu Singh, who has ensured that anything and everything that can use this renewable energy source is made compatible with solar-energy.
But what inspired the thirty-something Singh to turn the zoo into a green zone? It all began in 2008, when during a meeting at the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Chief Secretary’s office, it was decided that a solar energy park would be constructed on dedicated land within the Lucknow zoo. The park was to be used to educate people about the benefits of solar energy. “I was not convinced that just setting up the park would motivate people to switch to solar energy. So I started to look for ways by which this idea could be made more people- and zoo-friendly,” says Singh. That’s when she hit upon the idea of using solar energy to power the zoo’s existing infrastructure.
“It was a workable idea and what really excited me was that we could cut down on the huge electricity bills, which amounted to Rs 7,84,000 (US$1=Rs 46.9) every year. Moreover, instead of creating a solar energy park within the zoo, the entire Lucknow zoo will now set an example of how functional use of solar energy is possible in our day-to-day work. It will also educate organisations and visitors on how alternate sources of energy can be made useful for them as well,” explains Singh. Her efforts have been able to bring about a sea change in the way things are run in the zoo.
The project of turning Lucknow’s largest green lung into a truly eco-friendly zone was funded by New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (NEDA) of the UP government. The total cost of this transformation is estimated at Rs 94,34,000. “NEDA will put up all the solar panels and get the whole setup functional. From there on we will be responsible for its maintenance and we are more than prepared for the task,” says Singh.
via Renu’s Zoo Story: Solar Power Keeps Animals Comfy | The Better India.
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