Mankulam, the first panchayat to sell electricity

With the commissioning of the 110 kW micro hydel project here on Thursday, the Mankulam Grama Panchayat has become the first one in the State to generate electricity with a plan to sell it to the power grid through Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). Shiji George, president of the grama panchayat told The Hindu on Thursday that the project was initiated with the help of Energy Management Centre, Steel Industries Kerala Ltd. ( SILK) and the Thiruvananthapuram centre of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). This will help in adding momentum to the development of this backward pachayat which was created carving out of the Munnar grama panchayat in October 2, 2000. The Mankulam mini hydel project is using the water from Pampukayam falls.

In 2001, with an aim to generate power for household needs, the panchayat initiated implementation of the 110 kW micro hydro power scheme here with a catchment area of 8 Sq.km. However, after the construction of the pen stock line in the following year, the project was held up due to various reasons including lack of financial support for the purchase of the turbine. Later, it was UNIDO that helped the grama panchayat for purchasing two turbine generators of 55 kW from China resulting in realising the project. The panchayat now aims to provide power connection to 250 families and 50 office establishments including the grama panchayat. By selling electricity to the KSEB at a price of Rs. 2.90, an additional annual income of Rs. 20 lakh will be earned, Ms. George said. Nearly 15 waterfalls have already been identified in the grama panchayat for generating power, she said.