SHILLONG: IIT Benaras on Monday presented a combination of solar and biogas to light up the far flung rural areas of Meghalaya.
After a detailed meeting, a presentation was made by Dr Manish Kumar, Assistant Professor, IIT Beneras (BHU), on Monday at Secretariat, to the members of the Meghalaya State Planning Board, officials from the Autonomous District Council, Departments of Industries, Power, Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd., in the presence of the Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sirdar and Nokmas from Garo Hills (traditional Chiefs).
The meeting was presided over by John F Kharshiing, Co-Chairman, & Chairman, Working Group –III, Meghalaya State Planning Board and attended by the Board members among others.
During the presentation, Kumar said, “IIT Benaras Department of Electrical Engineering is initiating a research project, and the innovative proposal was for generation of 1.5 MW.”
“Power from an area of about five acres approximately, with an investment of about 55 crore where cost would include a combination of infrastructure, biogas plant, sewage treatment plants, with solar technology to generate electricity, and the structure would be such that it the event of excess power it would be transferred to the National Grid or can also be stored as gas as one cannot store electricity.”
There was also option for the villages to also gain from carbon credits as it was a combination of renewable source of energy.
He further informed, “IIT was interested in the research project to be initiated in Meghalaya and other states and looked forward to a partnership and allocation of land by the community, private owners, villages, the chiefs, and clarified that the land and project would be totally under their control, with all stakeholders for the benefit of the rural people from this sustainable project.”
Kumar also said that no man power was required from outside as employment would be generated locally to sustain this project.
