Uttar Pradesh

• 02 Jun 2023

MoU between NGEL and UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited

Why In News?

According to the information received from the Press Information Bureau of the Government of India on 1 June 2023, Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) and NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Lucknow with the objective of collaborating in the development of renewable energy parks & projects and transforming the energy sector.

Key Points:

• The MoU was signed by the CEO of NGEL Mohit Bhargava and UPRVUNL Director (Finance) Nidhi Kumar Narang & Managing Director P. Guruprasad.
• Under the MoU, the two organisations are planning to undertake a solar PV project dedicated to the Rihand reservoir, other water areas and any available vacant land, solar PV project for solar electrification of Ayodhya City. Wherever land will be made available, both organisations will work together for the development of renewable energy parks and projects.
• Both NGEL and UPRVUNL will work together to form a Joint Venture Company (JVC) to carry out tasks such as renewable energy generation responsibility, and flexibility in the production & scheduling of thermal/hydro power stations by combining renewable energy& energy storage.
• It is worth mentioning that the NTPC is India's largest power generation company. Its total installed capacity (including joint ventures and affiliates) is around 72 GW.
• To expand the renewable energy business, a wholly-owned subsidiary NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) has been formed which will work on a range of projects including renewable energy parks and green hydrogen, energy storage technology & round-the-clock development work in the renewable energy power sector.
• It is known that UPRVUNL was formed to set up and operate power generation stations in Uttar Pradesh. At present, UPRVUNL has four thermal power stations with an installed capacity of 5,820 MW and one thermal power station with an installed capacity of 1,320 MW is in a joint venture with NTPC.
• UPRVUNL is in the process of raising another 3,300 MW capacity with supercritical technology on its own. In addition, the central government is in the process of raising another 1,980 MW capacity through joint ventures with public sector undertakings.
• At present, UPRVUNL is also focusing on renewable energy and the energy storage sector.

18 Districts of UP including Noida-Ghaziabad will be Safe Cities

Why In News?

On 1 June 2023, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath told a workshop of mayors and presidents in Lucknow that the state government would make 17 municipal corporations & 18 cities, including Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, safe cities in six months to ensure a safe environment for women in cities.

Key Points:

• After this, within a year, each body of all 75 districts of the state will be made a safe city.
• The Safe City will get the following facilities:
• City buses will have cameras and panic buttons.
• As soon as the women press the panic button, the control room will get information immediately.
• Pink toilets will be built in major intersections and markets.
• Women police personnel will patrol the city on pink scooty.
• Schools and colleges will have more vigilance.
• In the first phase, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Agra, Jhansi, Firozabad, Mathura-Vrindavan, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Meerut, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Aligarh, Kanpur and Ayodhya will be covered.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister also announced the launch of an incentive scheme for the bodies to provide better facilities in the cities. For this, five parameters have been set like cleanliness, pure drinking water, good roads, safe city and self-reliance.
• An additional Rs 1 crore will be given to Nagar Panchayat, Rs 2 crore to the municipality and Rs 10 crore to the municipal corporation.