Energy Minister K.J. George inaugurates solar plant in Hoskote for farmers; Sharavati project vital for State’s future, he says

In a push toward renewable energy, Minister for Energy K.J. George on Thursday inaugurated a 7.3 MW solar power plant, established under the PM KUSUM-C programme, at Yalachahalli Lake in Hoskote.

The plant, set up under the feeder-level solarisation initiative, will power 1,383 agricultural pump sets across 33 villages under Mugabala Gram Panchayat in Nandagudi Hobli to ensure farmers receive seven hours of uninterrupted daytime power for irrigation.

“With this, four agricultural feeders in the region will now operate entirely on solar energy,” said Mr. George. MLA for Hoskote Sharath Bache Gowda was present on the occasion.

The Minister noted that the KUSUM-C scheme, implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has been gaining strong momentum across Karnataka. “It’s a boon for farmers, especially in rural areas like Hoskote, the gateway to Bengaluru,” he said, adding that the government is extending full support for its implementation.

Mr. George explained that farmers can also benefit financially by leasing their private land for solar projects.

“Private power producers are required to pay ₹25,000 an acre annually. The amount deposited with the District Collector will be used for developing local government schools and anganwadis. When private land is used, the developers will directly pay the same compensation to landowners,” he said.

The solar plants will be installed near technically suitable substations, with private developers generating power that the government will purchase and distribute to agricultural feeders. Since solar power is available during the day, farmers can irrigate their fields without worrying about power shortages, the Minister added.

The Minister further said, “In our term, the demand for power had surged from 9,000 MW to nearly 18,000 MW. We managed uninterrupted supply through power exchange agreements with other States. Now, we’re focusing on capacity expansion — 120 new substations will soon be established to tackle load increases and improve distribution.” 

Sharavati project vital for Karnataka’s future

Speaking about the Sharavati Pumped Storage Project which has been proposed by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), Mr. George said it is vital for meeting the State’s future energy needs. The Minister urged citizens not to be swayed by misinformation regarding its environmental impact and to support the initiative for the State’s long-term energy security.

“The Sharavati project will not harm the environment. It will make use of two existing reservoirs -- no new reservoirs will be built and no additional land will be acquired. The existing infrastructure will be used, and any forest land impacted will be offset through compensatory afforestation. If private land is required, owners will receive due compensation,” he clarified.

Responding further, the Minister said that the project will not affect river flow or biodiversity. “Some people claim that seawater will enter the river or that biodiversity will suffer. These are baseless allegations. The project will use only 0.37 TMC of water, which will be continuously reused through pumping. No additional water will be drawn, and the natural flow of the Sharavati river will remain undisturbed,” he said.