Khammam: IDOC parking area gets solar roofing

Khammam: Khammam’s Integrated District Offices Complex (IDOC) hosted the inauguration of a 200 kilowatt solar-roofed parking shed by Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar on Saturday.

The solar-roofed parking structure, which cost Rs 1.58 crore to build, is a first for the State, and was installed at the IDOCs. Along with the MP Vaddiraju Ravichandra, MLA S Venkata Veeraiah, and district Collector VP Gautham, the Minister turned on the solar power plant.

In order to begin the process of connecting the 200 KW solar power plant to the grid, the solar panels were mounted to the roof of a parking garage that was constructed at the IDOC for the purpose of housing the automobiles of officers and personnel. The Minister praised the State administration for their tremendous accomplishment.

The solar power plant has been set up as a pilot project for the first time in Khammam district, one of the recently built IDOCs in the State. Similar facilities were being set up at collectorates in other districts, Ajay Kumar observed, using Khammam as an example.

The power plant would produce between 800 and 1000 units of power each day. The energy produced by the plant would be used for IDOC requirements, with the remainder being sent to the grid. Only the net amount of electricity used would be subject to payment of a power bill.

The installation of the solar power plant would result in monthly electricity savings of 80,000 to 1 lakh rupees. Large sums of money were used to construct the new collectorate, district police headquarters, RTC bus stop, and municipal corporation office in Khammam.

The minister added that a six-lane road with a centre lane was built beyond Venkatayapalem using special funds allocated by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to guarantee quick road access to the collectorate.