Rs 8.51 crore solar plant to light up Malai Mahadeshwara temple

Chamarajanagar: Malai Mahadeshwara Swamy temple in MM Hills is set to get one MW solar power plant shortly. The Malai Mahadeshwara Temple Development Authority (MMTDA) has decided to install the solar plant in four acres of land beside the helipad.

The State government undertaking Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL) will execute the project at an estimated cost of Rs 8.51 crore.

Speaking to The Hans India on Sunday, MMTDA secretary Jaya Vibhava Swamy said that the tender process would begin from July

first week for the proposed solar plant. The solar plant will generate 1.5 lakh units of power every month. The temple authority requires two lakh units of power every month and spends Rs 12 lakh towards electricity bills alone. Jaya Vibhava Swamy expressed the hope that after commissioning of the solar plant the dependence of the temple for its power needs on Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESC) would come down to 50,000 units. He said the temple would save Rs 10 lakh from power bill per month and Rs 1.2 crore per annum. The money spent on solar power plant would be recovered within 7-8 years while the plant's life span is expected for 25 years. The

State government gave a go ahead to the project in March last year after Bangalore IISc scientists and CESC technical team inspected the site and gave green signal. He said there is a proposal to build a compound wall for the temple at an estimated cost of Rs 2 crore to protect it from wild elephants and other animals in the forest. The plant will be maintained by MSIL for five years.