A.Rafay
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The provincial government has decided to run 500 tube-wells on solar energy in order to supplement conventional power and prevent fake billing that was costing millions of rupees every year, The News learnt on Tuesday.
Besides, there is also a plan to install solar energy systems in public schools and homes.
The electrification of tube wells, schools and homes through solar photovoltaic (PV) technology was discussed in detail at a meeting held recently at the Sindh Secretariat.
The representative of the irrigation department informed the participants of the meeting that there were two projects in the pipeline each encompassing the installation of 250 solar-powered tube-wells.
The irrigation department-sponsored scheme, amounting to over Rs2.08 billion, was presented before the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on September 27.
It was pointed out that the PDWP had decided to take up the scheme in two parts i.e. 25 tube wells in phase I being the pilot project and the remaining in phase II.
A second similar scheme sponsored by the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, encompassing 250 solar-powered tube-wells, has not been taken up by the PDWP so far.
Piecemeal implementation
Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, who chaired the meeting, reportedly expressed his reservations over the piecemeal implementation of the schemes and directed the planning and development department to reconsider the decision.
The funds allocated for the two schemes, Rs50 million for each of them in the current budget, were also discussed.
The chief secretary ordered the additional chief secretary (finance) and the additional chief secretary (development) planning and development that the schemes should be taken up using funds from outside the budget.
The irrigation department official said that there were 6,000 tube-wells in Sindh that could be run on solar power.
The participants of the meeting decided that the PWDP would reconsider the decision it had made on September 27 in which it had decided to first run a pilot project of 25 solar-powered tube-wells and convert the others based on its success.
The participants of the meeting decided that given the importance of the schemes, they would be entirely implemented and funds would be provided for them from outside the budget.
If implemented, the solar energy plan will help the provincial government save a great deal of money, besides supplementing conventional power, a participant of the meeting told The News.
Of the 6,000 tube-wells in the province, 65 percent are functional. The provincial government is paying electricity bills of Rs0.3 million for each tube-well every year and most of them are either inflated or fake.
Issues
The official said there were some issues hindering the implementation of the scheme. The initial cost of solar energy is very high. A kilovolt (kV) is likely to cost Rs0.2 million. That means that Rs2.5 million will be required for the conversion of each tube-well. An amount of Rs100 million has been reserved in budget for the project, but Rs4 billion will actually be required.
The official said for agricultural purposes, the cost of each unit of solar energy would come to Rs18, though it should be Rs4.
Therefore, the initial cost is a huge one, but in the long run, it will help the government save money and conventional energy.
During the meeting, the additional chief secretary (special initiatives department) gave a presentation on the solar system for homes and different solar technologies being used all over the world. The local government special secretary pointed out that the Sindh Building Control Authority had made a provision in the law concerned making it compulsory to include the utilisation of at least five percent of solar energy in all building plans.
The environment and alternative energy department secretary noted that a scheme was being planned for providing electricity to public sector schools through the solar PV technology. The chief secretary directed him that the implementation of the scheme should be taken up immediately.
Sindh govt plans to run 500 tube-wells on solar power - thenews.com.pk
The provincial government has decided to run 500 tube-wells on solar energy in order to supplement conventional power and prevent fake billing that was costing millions of rupees every year, The News learnt on Tuesday.
Besides, there is also a plan to install solar energy systems in public schools and homes.
The electrification of tube wells, schools and homes through solar photovoltaic (PV) technology was discussed in detail at a meeting held recently at the Sindh Secretariat.
The representative of the irrigation department informed the participants of the meeting that there were two projects in the pipeline each encompassing the installation of 250 solar-powered tube-wells.
The irrigation department-sponsored scheme, amounting to over Rs2.08 billion, was presented before the Provincial Development Working Party (PDWP) on September 27.
It was pointed out that the PDWP had decided to take up the scheme in two parts i.e. 25 tube wells in phase I being the pilot project and the remaining in phase II.
A second similar scheme sponsored by the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority, encompassing 250 solar-powered tube-wells, has not been taken up by the PDWP so far.
Piecemeal implementation
Sindh Chief Secretary Raja Muhammad Abbas, who chaired the meeting, reportedly expressed his reservations over the piecemeal implementation of the schemes and directed the planning and development department to reconsider the decision.
The funds allocated for the two schemes, Rs50 million for each of them in the current budget, were also discussed.
The chief secretary ordered the additional chief secretary (finance) and the additional chief secretary (development) planning and development that the schemes should be taken up using funds from outside the budget.
The irrigation department official said that there were 6,000 tube-wells in Sindh that could be run on solar power.
The participants of the meeting decided that the PWDP would reconsider the decision it had made on September 27 in which it had decided to first run a pilot project of 25 solar-powered tube-wells and convert the others based on its success.
The participants of the meeting decided that given the importance of the schemes, they would be entirely implemented and funds would be provided for them from outside the budget.
If implemented, the solar energy plan will help the provincial government save a great deal of money, besides supplementing conventional power, a participant of the meeting told The News.
Of the 6,000 tube-wells in the province, 65 percent are functional. The provincial government is paying electricity bills of Rs0.3 million for each tube-well every year and most of them are either inflated or fake.
Issues
The official said there were some issues hindering the implementation of the scheme. The initial cost of solar energy is very high. A kilovolt (kV) is likely to cost Rs0.2 million. That means that Rs2.5 million will be required for the conversion of each tube-well. An amount of Rs100 million has been reserved in budget for the project, but Rs4 billion will actually be required.
The official said for agricultural purposes, the cost of each unit of solar energy would come to Rs18, though it should be Rs4.
Therefore, the initial cost is a huge one, but in the long run, it will help the government save money and conventional energy.
During the meeting, the additional chief secretary (special initiatives department) gave a presentation on the solar system for homes and different solar technologies being used all over the world. The local government special secretary pointed out that the Sindh Building Control Authority had made a provision in the law concerned making it compulsory to include the utilisation of at least five percent of solar energy in all building plans.
The environment and alternative energy department secretary noted that a scheme was being planned for providing electricity to public sector schools through the solar PV technology. The chief secretary directed him that the implementation of the scheme should be taken up immediately.
Sindh govt plans to run 500 tube-wells on solar power - thenews.com.pk
