There seems to be no end to UT Science and Technology Department’s woes in the execution of ambitious solar power projects. An ambitious proposal of UT (S & T) Department for commissioning of a solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32 (GMCH-32) here has been rejected by the UT Urban Planning Department The proposal was mooted to install a 2 MW SPV power plant at GMCH-32, on the pattern on newly constructed Indira Paryavaran Bhawan building (in New Delhi), which is country’s first net zero energy building and has been equipped with a 930 KW solar system on the rooftop. At present, a 100 KWp SPV power plant is commissioned on the rooftop of GMCH-32 building. The S & T Department had proposed to install a 2 MW SPV power plant on new E-block of GMCH-32 but the proposal was turned down by Urban Planning Department on the grounds of desynchronisation, the project may cause in visualisation of various blocks/buildings in the hospital. Interestingly, this is not for the first time when the Urban Planning Department and S&T Department have locked horns over the commissioning of SPV power plant projects in Chandigarh. Earlier, the UT Urban Planning Department had rejected two ambitious proposals pertaining to installation of solar systems. The proposal to light up city’s prominent tourist spot Sukhna Lake with solar-powered lights was put in cold storage as Urban Planning Department had raised its objection stating that project may violate the sanctity of proposed heritage zone. Another plan to install ‘Solar tree’, a decorative means of producing solar energy near Sukhna Lake was also rejected by this Department as the area near Sukhna Lake comes under the proposed heritage zone of Chandigarh. Notably, the heritage precinct in the heritage zone I proposed by Administration includes Sukhna Lake among other places. When contacted, Santosh Kumar, Director, S&T Department said, “The Department had proposed to develop GMCH-32 e-block on the pattern of Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, which generate enough electricity from its rooftop solar system to cover 100 per cent of its energy demand.” “But, the proposal was rejected by the Urban Planning Department saying that the solar panels to be installed at the buildings may cause desynchronisation in the visual image of buildings in GMCH-32,” he said. Now, the Department is in process of identifying another building where solar panels can be installed to cover the entire rooftop to cover 100 per cent of building’s energy demand. A 2 MW SPV power plant is planned to be commissioned on a building here, he added. Meanwhile, the S&T Department has proposed to install SPV power plants on all community centres, police stations, E-Sampark centres and 35 Government schools in Chandigarh. The solar projects are implemented under ambitious “model solar city” project of Chandigarh.