Fri. Mar 29th, 2024
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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been spotted at multiple inaugurations. But on March 1st he inaugurated the world’s largest solar park in Karnataka. This is not only a first for the state but for the country as well.

The 2000MW park has been named ‘Shakthi Sthala’. The park is situated in Tirumani village in the Pavagada taluk. In its first phase, it will generate 6o0 MW. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called it the ‘eighth wonder of the world’. The Pavagada taluk has been as a backward district, particularly arid and has suffered from droughts in the past. By December the park will function in force producing 2000 MW which will be a huge step forward. NTPC buys 600 MW from private parties, and it will add 300 MW to the state’s power grid. This will help ensure that households, agriculture and industries see an uninterrupted power supply.

Energy Minister DK Shivakumar said that in the summer there will be no load-shedding for households and industries in Karnataka. The park covers 13,000 acres and was bought from the farmers at a lease of 21,000 rupees per year. The investment that the government has made in the power is 16,500 crores. The project took a record time of 2 years to materialise and saw no land acquisition. It is particularly commendable because of people’s participation in the model. The park was developed by the Karnataka Solar Power Development Corp. Ltd., formed in March 2015 as a joint venture between Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd. and the Solar Energy Corp. of India.

The park will make Karnataka the third largest producer of renewable energy and will make Karnataka an energy surplus state said Siddaramaiah. The park is not only a source of energy but is also a source of employment. It is expected to benefit 2,300 farmers in Pavagada. DK Shivakumar also pointed out that previously a park abroad was generating 1,500 MW and was the largest but Karnataka has now surpassed that milestone. The park is not only a plus point for the state, but also for the Siddaramaiah government, which will use this as a selling point to gain votes.

By Sahitya