City's solar initiative begins

Vijayawada: The city would soon start using solar power on priority for its requirements. A The city would get Rs 9 crore to establish solar power units for street lighting, drinking water pumping and lighting for the commercial complexes. The city is listed one among 60 cities in the country to promote solar power usage.

The Municipal Corporation has organised a one-day awareness workshop on solar energy here on Wednesday to involve business and industrial establishments to begin the usage of solar power. The civic body, besides introducing solar power for its major programmes, is also requesting hotels, educational institutions, shopping malls, apartments and industries to use solar power.

Speaking at the workshop, the Municipal Commissioner, G S Panda Das, said that they were also exploring the possibility of using other renewable energy sources in the city. Besides solar power, the civic body has plans to start power generation from the sewerage treatment plant. He said that the project was aimed at bringing down power bills of the civic body.

The Central government's former advisor to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Dr EVR Sastry, said that the State would have over 10,000 mw of solar power generated in the State in the next 10 years. The solar power would save conventional energy, he said and added that the Central government was trying to bring down electricity bills by 10 to 20 per cent by using alternative energy. Solar power also would help avoid diesel generators which have become costly affair for consumers and a burden on the national oil pool.Dr Sastry said that the Andhra Pradesh Government has called for bids to establish solar power plants in the State.

Over 200 parties have submitted their bids and the government would soon finalise the bids, he said. This year, the State would get 600 mw of solar power, out of the 1000 mw proposed, he added.Director of MNRE Dr A K Tripathi said that the Central government was promoting solar energy even under private sector to save conventional energy and utilise natural resources for power sector.

The Solar Energy Society of India, Andhra Pradesh Chapter secretary, P Srirama Raju, Municipal Corporation Chief Engineer, G Kondala Rao, legislators Malladi Vishnu and Yalamanchili Ravi, former mayors Dr Jandhyala Shankar and Tadi Sakunthala and others were present..