Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science and Technology, N.S. Boseraju on Tuesday directed officials to initiate the preparation of a pre-feasibility report for the implementation of floating solar installations across 40 lakes managed by the Minor Irrigation Department. However, environmentalists oppose the project.
“These installations will affect the ecosystem of the lakes enormously, including birds that live around such lakes. Most lakes that come under the Department are usually filled with sewage water. In such cases, sunlight is essential to kill the pathogens in the water, which would otherwise get integrated into the groundwater and cause diseases among human beings, too. These lakes are viewed as real estate opportunities now instead of recognising them for their environmental service,” said V Ramprasad, co-founder and convener of Friends of Lakes.
Across the 40 lakes identified by the department, each spanning over 100 acres, potentially 2,500 megawatts (MW) of energy can be generated through floating solar installations, according to the Minister. He mentioned that the pre-feasibility report should consist of all aspects of the project, including environmental impact, power generation capacity, and economic viability and that the report will serve as a foundation for subsequent proposals to the government.
He also chaired a meeting with officials from the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Sungrow, Aarushi Green Energy, SILL and Trere where the roadmap for floating solar installations aimed at harnessing solar power from small irrigation ponds was discussed on Tuesday.
