3 Indians get 'Green Oscar'

Three Indians have won the 2005 Ashden Awards, considered the Green Oscar, for their outstanding and innovative projects.

Hyderabad-based Dharmappa Barki, chairman and managing director of Noble Energy Solar Technologies Ltd won
the Ashden Light Award and a cash prize of Rs 2,40,000 for the Solar lanterns he developed for India's poor.

Bangalore-based Harish Hande received the Enterprise Award and an equal cash amount for his village level solar
home systems.

Chandigarh-based Ramesh Kumar Nibhoria of Nishant Bio-energy Consultancy, inventor of school cook-stoves running on crop waste, was declared joint winner of the Climate Care Award along with Stuart Conway of Honduras, developer of a fuel-efficient cook-stove. Both of them shared a cash prize of the Rs 2,40,000.

Britain's secretary of state for International Development, Hilary Benn, presented the awards at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society in London on Wednesday night.

Other recipients of the awards included Nepal's Sundar Bajgain (Welfare Award) for developing biogas cooking fuel for the home.