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TTD to set up 10 windmills to overcome power crisis
TTD to set up 10 windmills to overcome power crisis, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to produce energy through windmills in a bid to overcome the shortage of power atop the Tirumala hills.
Tirumala: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has decided to produce energy through windmills in a bid to overcome the shortage of power atop the Tirumala hills. It has planned to take steps to develop non-conventional sources of energy by setting up 10 windmills. Through these windmills, one crore extra units of energy could be produced and the TTD would be able to save Rs 3.9 crore annually.
Generating power atop the Tirumala hills to meet the requirement has become a major problem. Thousands of pilgrims visit Tirumala on a daily basis. There are thousands of guest houses, kalyana kattas, shops, and hotels and the electricity consumption is high. The TTD entered into an agreement with the state government on supply of power. For meeting the power consumption needs of Tirumala, 4.80 crore units of power are required annually. The TTD gets supply of 1.2 crore units of power from Suzalan Company every year. The TTD is buying power at the rate of Rs 3 per unit from Suzalan and pays Rs 4.20 crore annually. The remaining 3.6 crore units of power is purchased by the TTD from the AP Transco.
The 3.6 crore units of power is utilised for the needs of government offices, temples and hospitals and it is purchased at Rs 6.90 per unit. For the power which is used for pumping water from dams through motors from Tirupati to Tirumala, the TTD is paying Rs 5.73 per unit. Thus, it is paying Rs 23.46 crore annually to the AP Transco. However, during summer, when the demand for power escalates, additional charges are levied.
The then TTD Executive Officer L V Subrahmanyam took steps to introduce solar energy in 2012 in the TTD Administrative Building at Tirupati. He also called for donations from philanthropists to set up solar and windmills. After successfully experimenting with solar energy in Tirupati, it was later introduced in Tirumala. Solar and windmills were set up at several places in Tirumala. It was also decided to set up windmills at Kakulamaanu and Akkagarlagudi areas.
If the plan of the TTD to set up another 10 windmills and generate one crore units of electricity materializes, it would result in saving a sum of Rs 3.9 crore annually. The TTD Electricity Department has decided to utilise the energy generated by the windmills on an experimental basis at Kalyani Guest House. However, due to the indifference of the TTD officials, the proposals sent by the NEDCAP have remained only on paper and have not been ratified yet. Although the state government wants to introduce renewable non-conventional sources of energy, the TTD is going on at a snail’s pace to implement the plan. It is expected that the TTD would speed up action regarding the implementation of the proposals.
