MANIREDA sets Oct target to power 112 hamlets
IMPHAL: The Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) has set a target of ensuring power supply to as many as 112 villages located in interior areas of the State where transport facility is extremely bad by October this year.
Speaking to media persons at a press meet organised by DIPR at their Moirangkhom complex today, MANIREDA Director L Manglem said that the villages are located in remote areas of hill districts and they can be reached by marching on foot.
In line with the Government of India’s objective of ensuring power supply to each and every village of the country by March 2019, MANIREDA accepted the responsibility to electrify the particular 112 interior villages, Manglem said.
Out of the 112 villages, 29 have been already electrified.
Although March 2019 is the National target, MANIREDA has been working hard to accomplish its task ahead of the National target by March this year.
MANIREDA took up this project of electrifying the 112 villages in collaboration with IIT Madras.
Based on the unit of power consumed by each State, the unit of power generated from renewable energy sources which should be used by different States is determined by the Central Electricity Regulatory Authority (CERA).
As determined by the CERA, power generated from renewable energy sources should constitute 5.5 per cent of the total quantity of power consumed by the State, Manglem said.
Even though MANIREDA had implemented a number of solar power projects, the total power generated from such renewable energy sources has not yet reached 5.5 per cent of the total quantity of power consumed by the State.
Nonetheless, MANIREDA had installed two off grid solar power plants and seven grid connected roof top solar plants during 2017-18 and they have been generating 737.74 KW. Moreover, MANIREDA had installed 8478 solar street lamps, mostly in tourist areas.
The agency has been working to install another grid connected solar plant, three grid connected roof top solar power plants and 3026 solar power packs which would generate 930 KW.
Plans are also afoot to take up five other projects which would generate 1915 KW in total, informed the MANIREDA Director.
Source: thesangaiexpress
