Hyderabad: Facing the challenge of reducing dependency on hydro and thermal power, the state government plans to take up eco-friendly initiatives like solar and wind power at prominent temple towns of Simhachalam, the world famous Tirumala and Srisailam as they are surrounded by hillocks. The scheme will be taken up in the next six months.
The state Energy Conservation Mission (SECM) has been directed to conduct a detailed study of the energy consumption patterns, existing energy infrastructure and prospects of green power in seven temples and suggest suitable strategy and specific plan of action to reduce dependency on thermal and gas power .
‘We will take up steps to promote solar energy in places of worship ‘says Endowments Commissioner M. Anuradha . The temples identified under the green project are Kanaka Durga temple (Vijayawada), Varaha Narasimha Swami temple (Simhachalam), Satyanarayana Swamy temple (Annavaram), Venkateswara Swamy temple (Dwaraka Tirumala), Srikalahastheeswara temple (Srikalahasti), Sri Mallikarjuna Swamy temple (Srisailam) and Varasidhi Vinayaka Swamy temple (Kanipakam). The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) managing the world famous Tirumala shrine has also been directed to adopt green measures.
TTD Executive Officer Dr D Sambashiv Rao says that TTD has already taken lead in wind power and solar power generation to meet its demands at Tirumala .
Very recently TTD inaugurated a 100 KW solar power plant under Build Own Operate Transfer(BOOT) system.
The solar plant would come up in a sprawling 66 acre of TTD land available at Kosuvaripalle in Tamballapalle constituency in chittoor district and would generate 10 MW power that would suffice 38.5 per cent requirement in Tirumala.
TTD is also contemplating to set up a 7.2MW wind mill plant in Tirumala with 3.6MW capacity each at Narayanagiri hill area and Akkagarlagudi on Alipiri foot path in Tirumala that would meet 28 per cent demand in Hill Town.
SECM CEO A. Chandrasekhara Reddy will monitor and coordinate with the EOs of the seven temples and TTD, and submit a report to the Endowments Departments.
With the rapid expansion of infrastructure like roads with streetlights, guest houses, choultries, pilgrim amenity complexes, ‘kalyana mandapams’, darshan queue complexes, annadana satrams, landscaped gardens in these temples in the last few years, there has been steady increase in the energy consumption and it would only increase in the coming years given the increase in pilgrim influx, according to the Revenue and Endowment department officials. (UNI)
