"Ladakh to soon become carbon neutral region"

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday addressed nation from Red Fort in Delhi. In his seventh consecutive Independence Day speech he mentioned that Ladakh is on its way to become a carbon neutral region.

Modi said the way Sikkim has created an identity for itself as an organic state, work is going on at a fast pace for Ladkah to create its identity as a carbon neutral region. With this he was referring to a mega solar project which is being built in Ladakh.

India is strategically trying to develop the Union territory of Ladakh and resolve grid connectivity problems in the region. India is working on a mega 7.5 gigawatts (GW) solar project in Ladakh including a 900-km strategic transmission link to transport surplus power to other parts of the country. The solar project is planned to be set up in blocks of 2.5GW each, and will supply power to the residents of Leh and Kargil districts, besides defence establishments, during harsh winters, while transmitting surplus power to the rest of India.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet has bifurcated Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir to make it a Union Territory of India.