Khanapur Tank To Be Developed As Mini-Tank Bund With Rs 68 Crore
Floating solar power plant and restaurant to be set up in tank’s water
ADILABAD: The Khanapur tank in Adilabad town will be developed as a mini tank bund and tourism spot at a cost of `68 crore sanctioned under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF) of the central government.
The project includes a 6MW floating solar power plant in the tank, a floating restaurant connected by a ropeway to the middle of the tank and boating facilities.
The UCF scheme was launched by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, under which Adilabad Municipality has been selected for urban development. The state and central governments will each contribute 25 per cent of the project cost, while the remaining 50 per cent will be provided as a loan to the municipality by the central government.
Adilabad municipal chairperson Anusha Bandari said civic officials had identified 129 houses that were constructed by way of encroaching onto the tank area. The houses are located in the Khanapur, Kholipura and Bokkalguda areas of the municipality and are affected by the tank and rainwater during the monsoon.
She said the identified houses would be removed and Indiramma houses sanctioned to the owners who lose their houses.
The municipality, she said, would construct a bund on one side of the existing tank and remove the houses from the other side.
Municipal officials said electricity generated by the solar plant would be used for streetlights and the requirements of the municipality and the collectorate, while the remaining power would be sold to the grid.
Officials said the municipality currently spends around `50 lakh a month on electricity bills and could save nearly `6 crore annually by using power generated by the solar plant. The savings would be used for development works and repayment of the loan.
The municipality will also set up a sewage treatment plant on two acres of government land near Chilkuri Laxminagar. Drainage water from different nalas would be diverted through pipes to the treatment plant, and treated water released into Khanapur tank.
