London: Indians won two of the four prestigious Ashden Awards for sustainable energy, globally known as the "Green Oscars", each carrying a cash prize of 30,000 Pounds and a trophy, in London on June 18 night.

Bunker Roy, founder of the Barefoot College, Tilonia in Rajasthan, who provided lighting using solar panels in over 136 remote and virtually inaccessible Himalayan villages, bagged the Ashden Award for Community Welfare, while S P Gon Chaudhuri, a leading specialist in renewable energy systems from West Bengal was chosen for the Ashden Award for Enterprise.

Afworki Tesfazion of Eritrea, who invited smokeless and fuel-efficient clay stoves got the Award for Food Security and Moel Moelegan, who developed an innovative wind farm received the Ashden Award for the UK.

Lord Whitty, UK Minister for Farming, Food and Sustainable Energy presented the awards at the Darwin Centre of the Natural History Museum in the presence of a select gathering.

The winners were chosen from a shortlist of nine people drawn from a record number of entries from some 25 countries and four continents.

The awards, now in their third year, recognise and reward inspirational renewable energy projects, which provide social and economic benefits for their local communities and protect the environment, Jonathon Porritt, internationally renowned environmentalist and chair of the UK government Sustainable Development Commission said.

PTI