Pune, September 25, 2023: An ambitious solar power endeavor spearheaded by Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Devendra Fadnavis is poised to provide daytime electricity to 138 villages in the Baramati Mandal of Pune.
The pioneering project aims to generate a substantial 221 megawatts (MW) of solar power within Pune district, encompassing 41 sub-centres situated on government-owned land. Sunil Pavde, Chief Engineer of Mahavitaran Baramati Parimandal, announced that this visionary project is poised to benefit a remarkable 67,000 agricultural pump consumers residing in 138 villages spanning five talukas within the Baramati Mandal.
The Government of Maharashtra has expedited the execution of the “Mukhyamantri Solar Krishi Vahini Yojana 2.0” through the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). To facilitate this mission, a new entity, “MSEB Solar Agro Power Ltd.,” has been established. The project’s inaugural phase is set to unfold on government-owned wasteland, with recent tenders released for nine districts, including Pune.
For the project’s first phase, an estimated 1,091 acres of land have been secured for a 30-year lease from the government. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, District Collector Dr. Rajesh Deshmukh, and Zilla Parishad CEO Ramesh Chavan have actively facilitated the smooth transfer of land for this vital undertaking.
Among the 41 sub-centres, 23 fall under the purview of Baramati, while the remaining are part of the Pune circle. Ten sub-centres have already reached full capacity in terms of resource allocation. In particular, the Loni Deokar and Babhulgaon sub-centres within the Baramati Mandal are set to generate 20.16 MW and 9.38 MW of electricity, respectively. To support these efforts, 100 and 45 acres of land have been secured on a contractual basis, while the remaining 21 sub-centres have received 440 acres, and an additional 586 acres of land have been allocated to MSEDCL for this monumental solar power initiative.
