BENGALURU: The energy department is using lake beds to set up solar panels under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-Kusum)-C scheme as government or private land is not available for the same.
This decision comes at a time when the state government is facing stiff opposition from environmentalists, urban planners and conservationists to its proposal to shrink buffer zones of lakes and rajakaluves for development projects.
Bescom has identified 15 lake beds on the outskirts of Bengaluru and other district headquarters in its jurisdiction to set up solar panels. Permissions from Minor Irrigation and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) departments have been obtained, Bescom Managing Director N Shivakumar told reporters on Friday.
He said work at Sulibele Lake to generate 5MW and at Kundabana Lake to produce 6MW has started. The aim is to generate 60MW using 15 lake beds under the scheme. To set up a 1MW plant, around four acres of land is needed. Deputy commissioners have been asked to identify government land to implement the scheme.
“We are not using the lakes that have been identified and listed for Arkavathy, Vrushabhavathi and KC Valley projects. The target is to generate 39,000MW under this scheme. So far, tenders to generate 24,000MW have been invited in the state.