Thursday, September 15, 2011: State Electricity minister
Aryadan Muhammad said that the UDF government under its 100-days
programme had provided more than one lakh new power connections.
Though the target was to provide 75,000 connections by clearing all
applications pending till March 31 last, new power connections were
given to 1,04,894 houses, he said.
The Kerala State Electricity Board had started three minor hydel
projects with a total capacity to generate 32.5 mw power. Besides this,
government entered into agreement with NTPC to generate wind energy
under its programme to encourage non-conventional energy units.
Work to start 40 mw wind energy mill unit at Ramakelmed in Idukki district would start soon, he said.
Work to the tune of Rs.114 crore was progressing under the Rajiv
Gandhi Grameena Electrification Programme in Kannur, Kasargod, Wayanad,
Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad.
Answering a question, Muhammed said state had lost hydel power
projects due to objections from various quarters including that from
environmentalists.
All hydel power projects should not be rejected and opposed on
environment grounds, he told reporters when asked about the fate of
proposed Aithrapalliy Hydel Power Projects on Chalakudy river in
Thrissur district.
A Central expert committee had recently objected to setting up of the
Atharapilli project as it would cause damage to the environment.
On Mullaperiyar dam over which Kerala is locked in dispute with Tamil
Nadu, he said there was no other option other than to construct a new
dam by decommissioning the existing one.
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