The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Tirupati News : Power saving: YSR shows the way

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Friday, Apr 08, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati

Power saving: YSR shows the way

By Our Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI, APRIL 7. The farmers hesitant to adopt the power-saving measures insisted upon by the Andhra Pradesh Transco have one to emulate now.

Thanks to the initiative by the AP Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd. (APSPDCL) in executing the measures in the fields of a farmer of Cuddapah district, having 23 functioning agricultural services, not only has power consumption fallen, but water discharge has also improved. And the farmer who is keen on leading from the front is none other than the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

In its apparent bid to explain the power-saving measures --technically called Demand Side Management (DSM) -- to the Chief Minister and convince the farming community of the need to go in for the new system, the company had taken up the task of implementing the measures in YSR's farm in Edupulapaya in Vempalle mandal of Rayachoty division. The DSM includes switch to high-density polyvinyl pipe, capacitor and an ISI-certified submersible motor.

Perhaps unaware of these measures, the `farmer YSR' was found to be using till then only a 65mm GI pipe and an ordinary motor without a capacitor, which were replaced in four days. The discom's Chairman and Managing Director, K.Ranganatham, personally supervised the operation.

In a study conducted after making the above changes, it was found that the energy consumption per hour fell by 15.8 p.c. on an average, while the water discharge (in litres per second) increased by 28 p.c. Finally the Energy Index (the energy consumed in lifting water from a meter tall pipe to fill a hectare of land up to a height of one centimetre) was also calculated basing on the above two parameters, that showed a net power saving of 35 p.c. to 55 p.c., compared to the non-DSM system.

Mr.Ranganatham explained to this correspondent over telephone that the cost of conversion to DSM was met entirely by the Chief Minister himself and the company only facilitated the changeover.

As even big farmers can have their power tariff slashed to half by adopting these measures, the company believes that the electricity saving and the improved water discharge in the "VIP farm" would definitely cause a rethink among reluctant farmers.

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