Monday, February 24, 2014: With government’s high paced march towards the 2022 target of generating 20 GW of solar power, many states with private enterprises have shown keen interest. But, it seems that the Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) tall hope for the solar water heater scheme met small addressees.
NMC reportedly met a very low response, as it received only 807 applications for 3,450 subsidised solar water heaters. The civic body has, now, decided to invite applications again for the solar heaters. The deadline for the scheme was 20 February, but now it has been extended to 28 February.
Under the project, NMC with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will provide solar water heaters with a capacity of 125 litre per day, at Rs 7,400. The price is pretty low as compared to the market price of Rs 19,000.
These 3,450 heaters will be distributed by a calculation of 345 heaters in each of the 10 zones, with NMC’s agency as the responsible body for installations. However, the beneficiary will stand the cost of two pipelines for cold and hot water, valves and overhead tank.
It is reported that some zones received not more than 30 applications. The Nehru Nagar zone received the highest number of applications with 202, with Laxmi Nagar zone at second spot with 183, Hanuman Nagar zone with 101, Ashi Nagar zone with 98, Dharampeth zone with 60, Mangalwari zone with 49, Gandhibagh zone with 32, Satranjipura and Lakadganj zones with 29 each, and Dhantoli zone with 24.
