Nashik superintendent officer PM Daroli has proposed to launch the scheme in six villages where 31.7 Mw of power is expected to be produced and sold to the farmers.
New Delhi: The Nashik urban division of Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Corporation Limited (MSEDCL) has proposed setting up of solar power plants generating 31.67MW electricity in rural areas under the Chief Minister Solar Agriculture Feeder Scheme in which farmers will get power during the day for their agriculture needs.
Nashik superintendent officer PM Daroli has proposed to launch the scheme in six villages where 31.7 Mw of power is expected to be produced and sold to the farmers. “We have entered into an agreement with these six villages where they have agreed to give us the land. The power plants will be raised on the land and the power generated would be sold to the farmers,” Daroli said.
Since power will be produced, transmitted and utilised in the vicinity, there will be very few losses in distribution, no power thefts as the system will be monitored and best of all is that the power with full strength would be available across the day time when the farmers need it the most.
Currently, first two of the projects providing solar power needs have been raised in MSEDCL’s space and they are generating and supplying power. The number of such solar-powered agriculture feeders is set to go up multi-fold.
While the space with the MSEDCL is limited, the company decided to take the land from the gram panchayats so that the power such generated would be utilised by the farmers in the area.
“The villagers have offered their grazing grounds for the project. The MSEDCL and the villagers have entered into an agreement for the use of land for the purpose. The agreement copies have now been sent to the district collector’s office which will take note of the same and grant permission for the change in use purpose,” another senior official said.
After this ‘change in use’ purpose is granted the construction of the solar power plants will begin, the officer said.
The projects are likely to get the permission from the collector by the middle of November after which the solar project is likely to take off.
The highest numbers of power plants are in Dindori taluka – the hilly areas where the water is too deep for the people to lift it.
“Currently, in tribal areas there is very little rabi crop apart from the kharif crop because of lack of water. Now, the solar agriculture pumps will help people opt for multiple produces in a year,” he added.
Source: energy.economictimes.indiatimes
