KWA to tap solar power to check electricity bills

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Water resources minister K Krishnankutty said the department would install solar panels in its properties under Kerala water authority (KWA) and irrigation department to reduce electricity consumption. This, according to the minister, will help the cash-strapped KWA, which spends Rs 23 crore every month to Kerala state electricity board (KSEB).
As the first step, KWA has started installing a 50-kW solar plant for operating the 75-mld water treatment plant at Aruvikkara in the district, which is being constructed as part of Atal mission for rejuvenation and urban transformation (Amrut) project.
“We have conducted a preliminary study to understand the use of solar plants so that we could cut down on power charges,” the minister said while interacting with reporters after visiting the treatment plants and bottling water unit of KWA at Aruvikkara on Wednesday.
Additional chief secretary Viswas Mehta said KWA was getting only Rs 4 per kilolitre of water while the cost of production is Rs 24.
Krishnankutty said that considering the weak summer rains and poor northeast monsoon, the state was taking necessary steps to ensure drinking water during summer. He said that priority was to commission all water supply schemes that were stuck due to delay in laying distribution networks. “Various plants with a total capacity of 1,000 million litres per day are yet to commission due to delay in laying of distribution networks. These projects, worth around Rs 7,000 crore, will be revived through various schemes such as rebuild Kerala,” he said.