The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Vijayawada News : GO pushes up demand for solar water heater

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

GO pushes up demand for solar water heater

By K. N. Murali Sankar

Solar water heater set up on a terrace.

VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 5. Builders who are constructing apartments in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits are coming forward to set up solar water heater equipment by spending Rs. 2 lakhs per each building. Thanks to the directive of the State Government (GO Ms.No. 305), which is being implemented by the VMC, the district unit of the Non-Conventional Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NEDCAP) has received Rs. 9 lakhs towards advance from 18 builders in the last two months. Making the installation of solar water heater equipment mandatory for new constructions with a minimum height of 15 meters and above in the limits of municipal corporations, the Municipal Administration Department issued the GO in August last. Many civic bodies, including the VMC, had no knowledge of the GO until The Hindu highlighted it in December. Reacting to the reports, the Municipal Commissioner, V. Usha Rani, said all builders must follow the rule.

"The building approval committee of the VMC approved the plans of 18 buildings at its meeting on February 26. All the 18 builders had deposited 25 per cent of the cost of the equipment with us," the district manager of the NEDCAP, K. Srinivasa Rao, told The Hindu on Tuesday.

No subsidy, as of now

According to the GO, an apartment with 20 flats should have water heating equipment with a capacity of 2,000 litres, which would cost Rs. 2 lakhs. At present, the NEDCAP is not offering subsidy on the equipment. "Krishna district unit of the NEDCAP has stood first among the 22 district units in the State by receiving advances from a good number of builders. Next to Krishna district is Visakhapatnam, which has received the advance from seven builders," Mr. Rao said. The NEDCAP had a list of companies which would make the equipment and install it, and enter into an agreement with the builders for maintaining the same for five years, the official explained.

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