New Delhi: In a major policy push aimed at transforming Delhi into India’s Solar Capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday announced sweeping reforms to simplify the installation of solar power plants on agricultural land, a move expected to significantly benefit farmers and accelerate the city’s clean energy transition.
Power Minister Ashish Sood said decades-old procedural hurdles have been removed, making it easier for farmers to adopt solar energy without compromising agricultural activity. The government has clarified that installing elevated solar systems on farmland does not violate the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, eliminating the need for Change in Land Use (CLU) permissions for such projects.
“For too long, Delhi’s energy potential was trapped in a years-old legislative maze,” Sood said. “While the rest of the world moved toward decentralised energy, our farmers were stuck waiting for permissions that never came.” Under the new framework, farmers can install elevated solar panels while continuing cultivation beneath them, allowing dual use of land and enabling additional income through power generation. Emphasising the impact of the reform, the minister said, “Farmers can now earn double income harvesting the sun above while continuing traditional cultivation below.” Highlighting the broader vision of the government, Sood said, “Today, we are ending the era of ‘No Objection’ hurdles. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, the vision of this government is clear and simple, every farm in Delhi should not just grow crops, but also produce the clean energy that powers our city’s future.”