Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Friday launched three DST Technology Mission Centres, which will undertake Research and Development in solar energy and water management, among others.
Harsh Vardhan, Minister for Science, Technology and Earth Sciences and Environment, Forests and Climate Change, lauded Indian scientists for their contributions, even as he noted that science had the potential to 'virtually' solving every other problems faced by the country.
He launched the DST-IITM Solar Energy Harnessing Centre, DST-IITM Centre for Sustainable Treatment, reuse and Management for Efficient, Affordable and Synergistic Solutions for Water and the DST-IITM-KGDS test bed on Solar Thermal Desalinsation Solutions, set up in Ramanathapuram district.
Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT, Madras, said the centres were focussed on critical technologies for sustainability like harnessing of solar energy in myriad ways, and scientific recycling and conservation of water.
The solar thermal desalination solution is being set up by IIT-M and Empereal KGDS in Ramanathapuram district to deliver customised technological solutions to address prevalent water challenges in the arid coastal village.
Speaking at the event, Harsh Vardhan lauded the Indian scientific community and hailed the rapid strides made by India in the field of Science and Technology, including advanced early tsunami warning mechanisms.
"Science has the potential to virtually solve every other problem," he said.
Harsh Vardhan referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's focus on areas like clean energy, including solar power and asserted that the country was on its way to achieve various targets in these areas.
Later, speaking to reporters, he said the world was lauding Modi for his contribution on issues like climate change and pointed to the Prime Minister's ambitious Solar Alliance and said 71 countries had joined the effort.
With LPG connections reaching 60 million women and fast paced electrification efforts, among others, the country was marching ahead in a progressive manner, he said.
He also recalled his Ministry's 'Green Good Deeds' movement initiative, which aims at protecting the environment and promote good living in the country.
To a question on a possible nation-wide plastic ban, as being enforced in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra,he said the issue of reducing or even eliminating single use plastic was not only a plan of India, but even a goal of the United Nations.
The government had earlier 'revisited' all waste management rules including that of plastic, he said.
It had regular interaction with relevant stakeholders to do the required changes and improvements, he said.
"We have to make society aware of the fact that these single use plastics, as soon as we eliminate them, it is going to help is in a big way," he added.
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