From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
BANGALORE, JUL 6: As many as 55 Wind mill projects in different locations in Karnataka involving a total capacity of generating 500 mw power have been cancelled by the Government due to non-implementation even after seven-to-eight years since granting permission.
``We had repeatedly requested all the private entrepreneurs granted permission for setting up wind mill power projects to either execute the projects expeditiously or surrender the permission,’’ Karnataka’s Energy Minister K S Eshwarappa said pointing out that the government had clearly warned entrepreneurs of cancellation for non-implementation.
The minister said a large number of companies had obtained permission for setting up wind mill power projects involving a total installed capacity of generating 9,000 mw of wind energy since the last several years. However, the total generation of wind energy was hardly 8 million units (MU).
Many entrepreneurs had applied and obtained permissions to set up wind power projects with an eye of getting government land, he said contending that the ``real intention of a large number of entrepreneurs was to obtain government lands but not power generation.’’
The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL), an organization devoted entirely to the promotion of non-conventional energy sources, clears proposals on windmills. ``We have started monitoring all projects to weed out non-serious persons or companies, whose real objective is to corner government land,’’ he said.
The minister chaired a Cabinet sub-committee meeting on power and discussed the demand and supply situation following heavy rains in coastal and malnad regions of the state. Farmers as well as industrialists have been able to heave a sigh of relief to carry out their faming operations and industrial activities respectively, he said.
He expressed happiness and relief at the heavy rains in different parts of the state, especially in the catchment areas of most of the major reservoirs, with inflows into the Linganamakki hydel reservoir averaging 30,000 cusecs a day since the last four to five days. The inflow position was very good in other reservoirs too and the government was hopeful of continued rains in the coming weeks.
The pressure on power supply had considerably eased since the resumption of rains since the last four-to-five days with peak energy consumption coming down to 90 MU a day.
However, he pointed out that it was too early to make any commitment on complete withdrawal of load-shedding. ``There is official load-shedding in the state at present. But energy summply companies (ESCOMs) are forced to resort to load-shedding when demand suddenly exceeded supply. We are regularly monitoring the situation and will take a decision on complete withdrawal of load-shedding when the water-levels in the reservoirs reaches comportable levels, ’’ he said.
Karnataka’s present availability of power from all hydel sources was 10 MU, RTPS and BTPS 41 MU, Central generating stations 28 MU, Yelahanka 1.5 MU, Wind energy 8 MU and private energy produces 1.5 MU, which met the present demand.
Meanwhile, the state government has urged the Centre to make up the short\fall of 329 mw from the Central power generating stations immediately and enhance Karnataka’s allocation from the Central grid to 2,500 mw from the present quota of 1,543 mw, he added.