Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that Indore, the cleanest city of the country, is the land of innovations.
“Indore residents have made another innovation under the leadership of its young and energetic mayor. Solar energy will now be used to supply water to houses in Indore,” he said in a video message to the public.
The water of Narmada river is pumped at Jalud village in Khargone district and is supplied to homes in Indore using conventional electricity. “Now, water supply will be done with the help of solar energy (as well). For this, a solar power plant will be set up in Jalud,” said the CM.
Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav met the Chief Minister and informed him that a 60 MW solar plant will be set up in Jalud to reduce its dependency on conventional electricity for pumping and supplying water.
He told the CM that the funds for the solar plant will be raised by issuing green bonds to the public. Chouhan said it is a matter of happiness that green energy will be produced by issuing public bonds.
“This is a wonderful experiment of Indore. Only Indore can do (such experiments),” he added.
He also appealed to the Indoreans to cooperate in the implementation of this innovative project. Chouhan said, “We have to maintain the title of “Apna Indore-SadaivPratham”.
Though Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC)’s council had approved a proposal to release green bonds for raising Rs 305 crore for setting up the solar power plant, the civic body got permission from the state government for raising Rs 250 crore, a total of Rs 55 crore less.
In a first, IMC is set to list green bonds as a public issue to raise funds for setting up the solar power plant.
“The IMC has to foot a hefty electricity bill of Rs 25 crore every month to pump water from Narmada river at Jalud and supply it to Indore. The solar power plant will help cut the expenditure,” said Bhargav.
