Chandigarh, Sep 12 – The Haryana government today said it has decided to install one lakh new solar water pumps in the state for irrigation purpose, of which 25,000 would be set up by the next year.
A decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of New and Renewable Energy Department, chaired by the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here.
The CM also sanctioned installation of roof-top solar power plants on the buildings of 110 community health centres and equal number of primary health centres.
Directing the department to ensure maximum utilisation of the green energy, Khattar asked the officials to identify blocks other than the dark zones and install solar water pumps in phased manner.
He directed the department to initially install 25,000 solar water pumps and gradually increased this number to one lakh, an official release said.
The department had requested to the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for allocation of 20,000 solar pumps to the state for the financial year 2017-18.
In the first phase, during the year 2016-17, as many as 750 solar water pumps of two horsepower (HP) capacity (surface and submersible) and 5HP (submersible) were to be installed in the Shalawas block of Jhajjar district and in other 23 safe blocks in terms of ground water exploitation in other districts.
The work order for 750 pumps has already been issued by the concerned districts for the first phase and these pumps have been received at sites out of which 700 pumps have already been installed and commissioned whereas remaining are under installation.
During the second phase to be implemented in the year 2017-18, 2,300 systems of 2HP to 10HP capacity would be installed for which e-tenders have already been invited.
The CM directed the power department to ensure the availability of net metres, billing through software on net consumption within a week under the solar rooftop programmes.
The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in a review meeting held recently has considered Haryana as the leading states in the solar roof top programme.
He said that he would soon convene a meeting of concerned departments regarding the setting up of Solar Park with 500 MW capacity in the state.
The solar park is to be developed by the SUN Haryana, a joint venture of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation (HSIIDC) and Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL).
It was informed in the meeting that survey of all government buildings in the state has been completed for the installation of rooftop solar plants so as to meet their power requirement for daily use.
The department has prepared a scheme to provide solar toilet lamps to the beneficiaries at a very nominal cost of 10 per cent of the total cost by providing 90 per cent state subsidy or funds under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from various organisations to meet the light requirement in the toilets constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission.
Source: PTI
