Solar Cooking System At Golden Temple Soon

[Azaad]

Dr Farooq Abdullah, Minister for New and Renewable Energy, has proposed a sophisticated solar cooking system to cook meals at Sri Guru Ram Das Langar hall at the Golden Temple complex where devotees partake of langar round-the-clock.

Stating this after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here today, Dr Abdullah said under the new system, as many as 30 solar concentrating dishes would provide steam for cooking about a tonne of dal per day. Besides, the system would have a hybrid boiler to help generate steam during cloudy and rainy days. He said the project would halve the consumption of LPG cylinders from 100 per day now to 50.

He said such systems had already been installed at Tirupati temple, Sai Baba Temple at Shirdi and Brahma Kumari Ashram at Mount Abu.

Dr Abdullah said a team of experts would soon visit the Golden Temple and Gurdwara Baba Deep Singh to carry out a feasibility study.

Earlier, the minister accompanied by SGPC officials, Akali and Congress leaders observed functioning of the 5,000-LPD solar water heater system installed atop the langar hall building.

Besides the solar water system, the New and Renewable Energy Ministry has provided 25 kW solar photovoltaic power plant installed at Guru Ram Das Serai.

Punjab’s Non-Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said renewable power plants generating 504 MV of electricity had been set up in the state. Out of this, 362.50 MV was from biomass power and cogeneration projects, he said.

SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh, who had studied working of the solar cooking system at Sai Baba temple at Shridi, said the entire energy requirement of the Golden Temple was around 300 kW. He said the Union Minister had assured that the entire Rs 1.40 crore cost of the project would be borne by the Centre.