Tripura government sent a proposal to Indian Railways to utilize its surplus power for running the trains to reduce the dependency on non-renewable conventional sources of energy being used for the purpose.

While addressing a gathering of Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) last evening, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar indicated that train engines have been rolling mostly by using diesel and coal as sources of energy, which is increasing the emission of green house gases in the atmosphere and polluting the environment. As India is committed to comply with global green house gas reduction agreement, it has become necessary for every citizen of the country to lead a carbon neutral life style and to reduce the emission of gases causing damage to environment, Mr Sarkar attributed.

“Since Tripura is generating more electricity than it’s domestic requirement, we propose to utilize it as source of energy to run the trains to and from Agartala to other destinations of Northeast. The region has enough potential to generate more power from natural resources,” Mr Sarkar apprised.

He said Tripura has been generating about 800 MW power per day and another 125 MW is getting share from other states. At present the state is selling 160 MW power to neighboring Bangladesh and about 220 MW power is being used for domestic purposes.

Similarly, most of the states in northeast are also having their surplus generation of power. “Northeast is considered as clean hub of the country and it could be further enhanced if we reduce the burning of fossil fuel.

Tripura is marching ahead with CNG driven vehicles, pipeline cooking gas and clean power generation by using natural gas,” he pointed out.