The Maharashtra Government is trying to revive Rs 20 billion Sakri solar power project in Dhule, northern Maharashtra, The Hindu reports.
The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MahaGenco), which is the lead project developer, had started work in right earnest but by September, it discovered that 460 hectares on which project was to set up was forest land. Site work was suspended and since then the project is in limbo.
Maharashtra’s Energy Secretary, Vidyadhar Kanade, said that the State Government has no plan to either abandon or shift the project to some other location.
It has already written to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest seeking forest clearance for 460 hectares, which is expected to be given in two months, he said.
The project is to be implemented with dual technology, with 75 MW power to be generated using photovoltaic cells, while 50 MW would be from thin film solar cells. MahaGenco also has option of expanding the project by another 25 MW.
Bharat Agarwal, Secretary of Khandesh Industrial Development Association, said the solar project will put a backward district such as Dhule on the global map.
Additional power supply will not only help local industries but also industries, which have been planned under the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), he said.
