Installation of energy efficiency pumpsets will be mandatory, for both domestic and commercial purposes, to get new electricity connections in the State and this will come into effect from June 1, 2017.
The State government’s order making it mandatory for public and private sectors will lead to saving electricity consumption to the tune of 30%.
The Energy Department receives nearly 80,000 applications a year seeking new power connections to pumpsets. Currently, there are 25 lakh irrigation pumpsets and 1.5 lakh drinking water supply pumpsets. Directions have been issued to all urban and rural local bodies to replace the existing old pumpsets installed for supplying drinking water with energy efficiency ones. The local bodies have to incur the expenditure of the replacement.
Disclosing details of the new pumpsets, Minister for Energy D.K. Shivakumar said a decision was taken based on the successful implementation of the pilot project in Doddaballapur (277 pumps), Bydagi and Nippani (590 pumps), and Malavalli (1,337 pumps). For new power connections, all farmers have to purchase four or five star-rated pumpsets and its price is in the rage of ₹35,000 to ₹40,000 for 5 HP set, while the older IP sets cost around ₹20,000 to ₹25,000. Each farmer has to pay ₹15,000, which includes ₹10,000 deposit, for new connections for ESCOMS.
The Minister said all IP sets will be gradually replaced with energy efficient pumpsets. IP sets consume around 39% of the total power supply. Free power costs ₹9,000 crore to the State exchequer a year.
Mr. Shivakumar said five villages in each of the 224 constituencies in the State will be developed as model electricity villages comprising population of 1,000 to 2,000. MLAs have been told to identify villages.
Free power
Free power supply will be given up to 40 units per month to families having connections under Kuteera Jyothi and Bhagya Jyothi schemes. Earlier, it was limited to 18 units per month. The decision to give free power up to 40 units will increase the fiscal burden on the State from ₹182 crore to ₹388 crore. Free power consumption will go up from 312 million units to 610 million units. There are 23.49 lakh Kuteera Jyothi and Bhagya Jyothi power connections in the State. He said 40 new substations will be set up in Bengaluru (11), Bagalkot (7), Hassan (5), Mysuru (5), Tumakuru (6) and Kalaburagi (6).
Solar pumpsets in forests
With several deaths of wild animals being reported in Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary owing to scarcity of water during summer, the Energy Department has decided to install solar pumpsets to supply water from nearby lakes/tanks to fill ponds in thick forests.
Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was informed of this during his campaigning for Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly constituencies, said 20 solar pumpsets will be established. The Forest Department has been asked to identify locations in the forest for installation of pumpsets, he said.
