Collaborative governance for urban sustainability: implementing solar cities

Today, when rapid urbanization has become an environmental concern all over the world, the concept of solar cities assumes a crucial role to play in realizing not only the sustainability potential of cities but also to transform urbanization into an opportunity. The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India in 2008 launched the Solar Cities Programme to promote alternate sources of energy and reduce dependency on conventional energy sources. Chandigarh was the first city to be declared as model solar city. This study attempts to empirically analyze the measures taken to make Chandigarh a model solar city while focusing on adoption of roof-top Solar Photovoltaic (SPV). The data collected was analysed and interpreted using percentages. Descriptive analysis of the responses of government officials, residents, NGOs and private empanelled agencies was done. Findings revealed that the whole idea of participatory local planning was sidelined, awareness generation remained piecemeal, no formal coordination mechanism was established and yet empirical targets were not only achieved but surpassed. However, the implementation failed to convince residents to shift towards solar energy, jeopardizing the long-term sustainability of the solar city plan.