"The enormous potential to market electric and battery operated vehicles in India should be made optimum use of And for that, both India and Hong Kong should work together to promote alternate energy based system," said Prof C.C. Chan, president of World Electric Vehicle Association.

He was of the opinion that the whole world would have to take a collective responsibility for the environmental pollution. "Time has come for every country to come forward to encourage an alternate energy to run vehicles," he said. Speaking to the TOINS on Sunday, Prof Chan, of Hong Kong university said he was hopeful that the future of vehicles run on electricity in this country was bright.

"The three-day symposium on "Automotive electronic and alternate energy vehicles" held at IIT, Kanpur will give a much-needed filip to the alternate energy concept not only in India but the whole world," Prof Chan said. The 21st century will be an era of alternate energy.

"Hong Kong" he said "can provide the funds and technology to India and India in turn can provide the vast market," Prof Chan said. Thus the two countries can play an important role in developing the alternate energy vehicles in the next millennium.

Referring to the cost of electricity or battery run vehicles, he said it was comparatively higher bit would come down once the production goes up. In time to come, these vehicles are bound to take the place of petrol and diesel run vehicles owing to the limited resources of these fuel in the world.

The government will have to encourage the industry by bringing technologists and funding agencies together. Prof Chan admitted that presently the cost of electric or battery run vehicles, is very high but hoped that price will come down after the manufacturing of these vehicles starts on large scale.

He said the use of electric run vehicles was bound to take place as there was a limited sources of petrol and diesel in the world he said "the key for the success of these vehicles is the strong will power of the government it is government who can bring industries, technologists and funding agencies together to encourage the use of these vehicle."

- Meena Mishra