The primary identification of 15,000 acres of land parcels in three mandals of Anantapur district bordering Karnataka has been completed and out of that, the officials of Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), which has won the bid for setting up a solar power generation unit in the district, inspected some of the land parcels.
The land aggregating agency New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of A.P. Ltd. (NREDCAP) District Manager M. Kodanda Rama Murthy told The Hindu that it along with the Revenue Department had shown 2,300 acres available in D. Hirehal mandal and another 600 acres in Gramadatla in Rayadurg mandal after formally informing the villagers at grama sabhas about the State government’s policy of leasing out land for the solar projects at Rs.25,000 per acre and with a revision clause every three years.
“The owner of the land retains the ownership while getting the lease amount every year,” he said.
The AGEL had won photovoltaic bids for setting up 3,000 MW of solar energy units at five places. The State government proposes to add 6,400 MW of generation capacity in the State to supply free power to the agriculture sector. The final Detailed Project Report for the 500 MW Pumped Storage Hybrid Green Energy project at the Chitravathi Reservoir in the district is also in the final stages.
EV charging stations
The Tata Power electric vehicle charging stations have been established at 15 locations in the district and most of them are at popular restaurants or petrol pumps on the National Highways. NREDCAP is inviting persons with sufficient land at strategic locations to set up many more stations to create the infrastructure for the EVs, whose numbers are increasing by the day.
On NH 44, one has been established at the Indian Oil Corporation petrol pump at Hampapuram. Another is coming up at Hotel Bluemoon near Gooty Toll Plaza, and the third at the Police Petrol Pump at Reddipalli on Anantapur-Tadipatri Highway.
On the national highways the government proposes to set up each charging unit at a distance of 25 km and 3 km apart in cities.
