500 Kadiyam nurseries to get solar power boost

Kakinada: Solar power installations to all 500 Kadiyam nurseries in East Godavari to make it a solar hub has been active. These nurseries consume about 65 to 70 lakh units per annum at an average of 12,500 units each per month totaling to Rs 36 to Rs 40 crore per annum on power bills.

Under this mega programme, AP Transco and New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) in association with District Water Management Agency (DWMA) (under NTR Jalasiri) play a key role in the execution of the project. As part of this programme, five HP solar power units costing Rs 3.70 lakh will be installed in these units. By third week of September the installation programme at 32 nurseries will be completed. The installations will have the capacity of extracting ground water at a depth of 200 to 250 feet.

On the total cost of installation, AP Transco will share bulk of subsidy with 56 per cent followed by 33 per cent by NREDCAP and DWMA extends six per cent subsidy under NTR Jalasiri. This makes total subsidy to the extent of 95 per cent and the farmer will have to bear five per cent of the total cost.

East Godavari NREDCAP, district manager G Satyanarayana said that all the solar installations will be periodically checked by their organisation including the battery system. The project officer of solar hub and East Godavari, T V Subba Rao said that the installation process will be completed by next two to three months.