The Marathwada Statutory Development Corporation has come up with a plan to install solar panels in the backwater of two dams to generate electricity.
Jayakwadi dam in Aurangabad and Ujani dam in Solapur will be the sites of the solar power generation project. “The Jayakwadi dam, like Ujani, has widespread backwater, which can be used for installing floating solar panels for power generation. There is ample free space at the tail-end of the dam, which we are planning to use for installing the solar panels,” said Bhagwat Karad, chairman of MSDC.
Jayakwadi dam, built on the Godavari river, is a key source of water to the arid region, while Ujani dam, built on the Bhima river, is the State’s largest dam in terms of water storage capacity. Mr. Karad said, “Similar projects are in operation in Kerala and West Bengal. I have asked officials concerned to conduct a study on the possibility of setting up solar panels on dam water.”
The corporation has held talks with private companies to find out if they are willing to invest in this project and operate such facilities. Mr. Karad said, “A meeting with officials from the State water resources and electricity departments took place recently in Aurangabad to discuss the proposed project. We also held talks with some private companies which are willing to invest in this project and operate it.”
He said such projects would reduce the government’s dependence on acquiring land, which is a long-drawn process, for setting up solar power plants. “The biggest relief is availability of space for setting up solar plants. If solar panels are to be deployed on land, then acquisition for would have taken longer time.”
