3 solar plants on Kailash route soon

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 26

To deal with lighting problems on high Himalayan track routes and security posts on the China and Nepal borders in this district, three solar plants with a total 9 KW generation capacity will be installed at Chiyalekh, Gunji and Kalpani villages on the Kailash-Mansarovar route before June this year, Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (UREDA) and district administration sources said here today.

According to them, Rs 22.16 lakh has been sanctioned under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) scheme of the Centre for the purpose. The amount initially allocated to the ITBP has been transferred to UREDA. “We have solicited tenders for installing two solar plants of 2 KW generation capacity each and one of 5 KW capacity. The work on installation of solar plants is scheduled to be completed before June,” said AK Sharma, project officer of UREDA in the district.

The companies which will be allocated the work of installation of solar plants will have to maintain them for next five years. “These plants will supply power for lighting up ITBP camps and track route camps on the Kailash-Mansarovar pilgrimage route, which have solar lanterns at present,” said Sharma.