Sanchi’s solar dreams eclipsed by earthy troubles

Transition to solar power patchy, residents unimpressed

Environment

February 3, 2025

/ By / New Delhi

Sanchi’s solar dreams eclipsed by earthy troubles

Sanchi was declared India’s first solar city but the promised benefits have not materialised for its residents (Photo: Urja Vikas Nigam)

Touted as India’s first solar city in 2023, Sanchi, a small town near Bhopal, was envisioned as a model for sustainable energy. Yet, over a year later, residents grapple with high electricity bills, power cuts, and failing solar infrastructure.

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In 2023, when Sanchi, a town in Madhya Pradesh renowned for its ancient Buddhist stupas, about 50 km north-east of the capital Bhopal, was declared India’s first solar city, the target was to transition the town’s energy consumption to sustainable solar power, promising environmental benefits and reduced reliance on traditional energy sources.

More than a year after Sanchi was declared India’s first solar city, the promised benefits have not materialised for its roughly 9,000 residents. Despite the installation of solar infrastructure, the town continues to face high electricity bills, frequent power cuts, and a lack of maintenance for solar-powered systems, leaving many to question the effectiveness of the project.

According to the civic body of Sanchi, the transition to a solar city has not significantly reduced electricity expenses, as initially expected. Despite the installation of solar infrastructure, the town still incurs an average electricity bill of around INR 3,30,000 per month nearly the same as before its designation as India’s first solar city in 2023.

The town operates around six pumps to maintain its water supply, along with streetlights and other public utilities that require electricity. However, the anticipated cost savings from solar energy have yet to materialise, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the project’s implementation and the maintenance of solar-powered systems.

Promises vs. Reality: The Ground-Level Challenges

Rooftop solar adoption remains dismally low, with only 18 out of 1,500 consumers having installed solar panels

Rooftop solar adoption remains dismally low, with only 18 out of 1,500 consumers having installed solar panels (Photo: Urja Vikas Nigam)

While the government projected Sanchi as a model solar city, residents say the reality on the ground tells a different story. Many expected a significant reduction in electricity costs and an uninterrupted power supply, but neither has been fully realised. Frequent power cuts continue to plague the town, forcing households and businesses to rely on traditional grid electricity. Moreover, rooftop solar adoption remains dismally low, with only 18 out of 1,500 consumers having installed solar panels. Despite initial enthusiasm, the slow uptake suggests financial and technical barriers preventing widespread adoption.

One of the biggest concerns is the lack of proper maintenance of the existing solar infrastructure. Residents complain that when solar streetlights malfunction, they are left unrepaired for months, with no mechanism in place to ensure upkeep. The civic body has also raised concerns over unfulfilled promises, particularly regarding the installation of solar water pumps, which were meant to reduce reliance on conventional power sources. The absence of these critical components has not only limited the project’s impact but also led to a growing sense of frustration among the people of Sanchi.

For the town’s businesses, the situation is equally challenging. Local shop owners and small industries, which expected relief from high electricity costs, have seen little to no difference in their monthly bills. With frequent power cuts still disrupting daily operations, businesses are forced to depend on the traditional power grid. The lack of a stable and cost-effective solar infrastructure means that many traders who were hopeful about lower operational expenses are now questioning whether Sanchi’s solar city status holds any real benefit for them.

The disillusionment is growing, with many feeling that the solar city tag has remained largely symbolic rather than transformational. While the project was launched with ambitious goals, its impact remains limited due to gaps in execution and maintenance. Without urgent interventions to address these shortcomings, Sanchi’s vision of becoming a fully solar-powered city may remain an unfulfilled promise, raising concerns about the feasibility of similar projects elsewhere in India.

Residents express mixed feelings about the solar city initiative. While they appreciate the recognition and potential benefits of sustainable energy, the lack of proper implementation and maintenance has led to disillusionment. Some note that during power outages, the operational solar streetlights provide some relief, but this is a limited benefit given the broader challenges.

“It is a matter of pride that our town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, was chosen to be India’s first solar city. But the way it has been implemented leaves a lot to be desired. The idea was great, but the execution has not lived up to expectations. There is no proper system in place for the maintenance of solar streetlights once a light stops working, it is left that way for months. We were told that solar power would bring down electricity costs and improve our daily lives, but we still face the same expenses and power cuts as before. The only time we are reminded that Sanchi is a solar city is when there is a sudden blackout, and a few solar streetlights are the only source of light in the darkness,” Prashant Yadav, a shopkeeper in Sanchi tells Media India Group.

From vision to reality: How Sanchi became India’s first Solar City

The idea of transforming Sanchi into India’s first solar city was born out of the central government’s push for renewable energy and Madhya Pradesh’s vision to create a model town powered by solar energy. Under the Solar City Programme, launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), the goal was to reduce conventional energy consumption by at least 10 pc through solar installations, energy efficiency measures, and sustainable urban planning. Given Sanchi’s historical significance as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the state government saw an opportunity to merge heritage conservation with modern sustainability efforts.

The project gained momentum in 2022 when the Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) took charge of implementing solar infrastructure across Sanchi. The government installed solar power plants, solar streetlights, and proposed the widespread adoption of rooftop solar panels for households and businesses. By mid-2023, the town was officially declared India’s first solar city, with ambitious plans to make it a model for other towns aiming to transition to clean energy.

However, more than a year later, the expected transformation remains incomplete, with issues in infrastructure maintenance, slow adoption of solar rooftops, and continued reliance on traditional electricity sources. Despite Sanchi’s challenges, the idea of solar cities has been gaining traction in India. The government has identified around 60 cities across the country to be developed as solar cities under the MNRE’s programme. Some of the other cities that have been proposed or are in the early stages of solar city development include Diu in union territory of Daman & Diu, Chandigarh, Gandhinagar, capital of Gujarat, Mysuru in Karnataka, and Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

While Sanchi was the first to receive the official designation, its struggles highlight the need for stronger execution strategies in India’s solar city initiative. As more towns and cities aim to transition towards renewable energy, the lessons from Sanchi’s experience will be crucial in shaping more effective and sustainable solar city models across the country.

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