They lie silent and forgotten – the high, flat plateaus that fringe our valleys, watching centuries of snow, sowing, and sorrow. Once shaped by glaciers and myths, the Karewas of Kashmir now stand as symbols of neglect – neither fertile enough to farm, nor sacred enough to preserve. Yet beneath that crust of brown earth lies the Valley’s next revolution.
If we dare to imagine differently, these barren Karewas could become Kashmir’s Solar Power Hubs – turning waste into wealth, silence into energy, and sunlight into sovereignty.
1. Land That Produces Nothing Can Now Produce Power
Kashmir’s Karewas – estimated to cover nearly 2000 square kilometers – remain largely unutilized. Unlike paddy belts or orchard zones, these plateaus don’t yield food. But they do receive abundant sunlight, minimal fog, and long, dry spells.
Instead of lying fallow, they could host solar parks, microgrids, and rooftop cooperatives, generating megawatts of clean power without disturbing agriculture.
In a land where every inch of cultivable soil is precious, this is the most non-disruptive energy reform we can imagine – a use of unproductive land for productive purpose.
2. Energy Independence in a Conflict-Ridden Geography
Kashmir’s power story has long been a paradox: we host rivers that light cities outside, yet live with chronic shortages ourselves. In winter, darkness visits like an annual ritual.
Solar Karewas could flip that script.
Imagine Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, and Baramulla dotted with shimmering solar panels – each generating localized energy for homes, schools, and cold storages. Imagine microgrids run by village cooperatives – letting citizens own both the panels and the profits.
Every kilowatt produced locally chips away at dependence – not just on the central grid, but on political goodwill.
3. A New Employment Frontier for the Valley’s Idle Youth
Our young graduates, disillusioned with government jobs and disinterested in farming, stand at an existential crossroads.
Solar Karewa projects could open an entirely new skills ecosystem – technicians, engineers, panel-cleaners, surveyors, electricians, and data operators.
Even a modest 100-MW project can employ hundreds during construction and dozens permanently.
If training institutes and polytechnics align their syllabi with renewable technology, we can turn our “unemployed youth” into “energy entrepreneurs.”
4. From Carbon Sinks to Climate Shields
Kashmir’s ecology is fragile, its glaciers receding faster than our memories. Hydropower once promised clean energy, but it has come at the cost of disrupted rivers and altered biodiversity.
Solar energy offers a gentler alternative – noiseless, waterless, and emission-free.
If even 10% of the Karewa surface is solarized, Kashmir could offset millions of tonnes of carbon, helping India’s Net Zero 2070 vision while becoming the country’s first Carbon-Conscious Union Territory.
The world talks of climate refugees; we can talk of climate resilience.
5. Prosperity Without Paving Paradise
Tourism comes and goes. Apples rot. Projects stall. But sunlight is constant.
Turning Karewas into solar hubs would give Kashmir an economic backbone independent of tourist seasons or political moods.
It could power cold chains for fruit, provide steady electricity for hospitals, and stabilize the region’s notoriously erratic grid.
More importantly, it would alter our moral economy – from dependence to dignity. The message to the world would be clear: Kashmir is not just a land of conflict or beauty; it is a land of capability.
What It Will Mean for Kashmir
A solar-powered Karewa Kashmir means four profound transformations:
• Economic: From subsidy-seekers to energy-sellers.
• Social: From job hunters to job creators.
• Ecological: From resource consumers to climate custodians.
• Psychological: From despair to self-reliance.
Each ray captured on those silent plateaus would light not only homes but hopes – of a people long told they have no power.
An author, a communications strategist, Dr Sanjay Parva was a debut contestant from 28-Beerwah 2024 Assembly Constituency. He could be emailed at: bindasparva@gmail.com
