- The UT of Ladakh has signed a tripartite agreement that will help in establishment of the country’s first-ever geothermal field development project.
- The agreement/ pact was signed between the ONGC Energy Centre and UT of Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC)-Leh.
- Under this pilot, power generation capacity of 1 megawatt (MW) will be generated and the general public will get 100 per cent free power supply.
- In Eastern Ladakh, Puga and Chumathang are said to be the most promising geothermal fields in India.
- Geothermal energy refers to the heat energy generated and stored in the Earth. This energy can be used for heating homes, heating water for swimming pools etc. and if the source is hot enough, electricity generation.
- Geo-thermal resources in India have been mapped by Geological Survey of India (GSI). Broad estimate suggests that there could be 10 GW geo-thermal power potential.
