JUMLA, Jan 22: Karnali Province Government has unveiled plan to install solar plant of one megawatt capacity in Jumla district headquarters Khalanga.
Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Karnali Province, Naresh Bhandari said on Tuesday that all preparations have been made to install solar plant in Jumla. "We will be able to distribute energy generated by the plant in Khalanga within six months. The plant will supply electricity to Khalanga and surrounding areas till Jumla is connected to national electricity grid," he added.
Chief Minister of Karnali province Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Law minister Naresh Bhandari, Head of District Coordination Committee Jumla Lal Bahadur Sarki, executive director of Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) have already held discussion with the company that has been selected to install and operate the solar plant.
Tapping into the sun
The company will get 60% of the total cost as subsidy, while government agencies are arranging 20% concessional loan to it.
A technical team of the company has already conducted needful study to install solar plant in Khalanga. Similarly, a technical team of APC is visiting Jumla again to finalize the detailed project report of the plant.
Jumla is reeling under acute power shortage as the micro hydel project that has been supplying power to Khalanga is in a sorry state. Gajendra Bahadur Mahat, lawmaker of Jumla had purchased a diesel plant with an investment of Rs 5 million from constituency development fund, as an alternative arrangement. But the plant is no longer in use.
The provincial government has asked the company building solar plant to use high quality battery and equipment to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
According to Lal Bahadur Sarki, chief of District Coordination Committee, Jumla, a Chinese technical team has already conducted necessary study in Jumla to install the plant. Industrialist Shekhar Golchha had also accompanied the team to Jumla.
Along with the solar plant, the provincial government has expedited construction of Chukeni Khola Mini Hydroelectricity Project. Similarly, a hydel project is also being built Tila Rural Municipality. Likewise, Nepal Electricity Authority has also started work on connecting Jumla to national electricity grid.
