Solar plan for water body

Bikramgarh: A mega floating solar power plant may be set up on Bikramgarh Jheel, off Prince Anwar Shah Road, if approved by the state government.

A feasibility study for the plant, the “first in an Indian metro”, was finalised last Thursday and submitted to the Calcutta Municipal Corporation.

“We have just received the feasibility report on the floating solar power project. We will prepare a detailed project report and seek funds from the power department and the state government’s green city project,” said Debasish Kumar, mayoral council member in charge of parks and squares and chairman of the civic body’s solar and climate committee.

The feasibility report has fixed a budget of Rs 2.5 crore for building the floating solar plant and Rs 1 crore for rejuvenating and beautifying the water body. The power department had earlier given Rs 3 crore to the corporation for solar power in the city’s parks.

“The proposed plant is expected to have a capacity of around 360 kilowatt and will give about nine lakh units to the corporation annually, generating Rs 45 to 50 lakh,” said solar power expert Santipada Gon Choudhury, associated with the planning of the project, which will reduce greenhouse gas emission.

A British government-sponsored study conducted some time ago ranked Calcutta as the biggest green house gas emitter among 42 Asian cities.

The plant will occupy 40,000sq feet space.

“I helped build a smaller floating solar power plant in Rajarhat a few years ago and that’s running fine, but none of the metros has it,” he said.

Biologists have cautioned that adequate studies must be carried out to ensure that the project does not alter the microclimate, including temperature, of the water body.

“We have considered the environmental factors and will ensure that the ecosystem is not affected,” a senior official associated with the project said.

Source: telegraphindia