Tamil Nadu - Madurai   

Centre sanctions subsidy for solar appliances

Staff Reporter

They are meant for Corporations, municipalities and panchayats

SOURCE OF POWER: The solar water heating system installed at Emergency Obstetric Care Hospital at Mapalayam in Madurai. — Photo: G. Moorthy

MADURAI: The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has sanctioned subsidies for purchase of 2, 000 solar equipment in Tamil Nadu. The appliances meant for 16 Corporations, municipalities and panchayats include solar streetlights, streetlight control systems, hoardings, blinkers and road studs, S.M. Vijayakumar, Deputy General Manager, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency, has said.

Local bodies evinced a keen interest in solar energy, going by the pace at which the work has been progressing. The Madurai Corporation had installed 50 solar streetlights at bus stands and other areas, while the other local bodies floated tenders for purchase of solar appliances, he said.

With the help of the subsidy, solar water heating systems of varying capacities (200-300 litres a day) were commissioned in 15 Corporation maternity homes in Madurai. As on March 2005, Tamil Nadu had 5,665 solar photovoltaic streetlights, 1,299 home lights and 12,398 lanterns, he said.

Effective implementation of two Government Orders, issued by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department dated August 8, 2002 and the Housing and Urban Development Department dated November 14, 2002, would help to promote solar energy among the public, he said.

These orders made it mandatory for community halls, hospitals, guesthouses and other buildings with a plinth area of over 150 square metres (combining the first and second floors or having more than 50 rooms) to have provision for solar water heating systems. The Madurai Corporation had passed an order in this regard, he said.

Mr. Vijayakumar suggested that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board make it mandatory for all new houses to have provision for solar power. Likewise, heavy industries could be told to source at least one per cent of their load from solar power. Such small measures would do a lot of good in the long run, he said.

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