Plans at white heat
In India, the Union ministry of non-conventional energy sources is pursuing various R&D projects to harness the geothermal energy available.
About 340 hot springs have been identified in the country, with temperatures varying from 60oC to 130oC. A 5kw experimental power plant is being operated at Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh.
A 4 mw power generating potential has been estimated in the Puga valley of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir, which has hot springs of 130oC or more. Another project for poultry farming and mushroom cultivation by setting up greenhouses using the warmth of geothermal fluids is also underway here.