Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Dec 5 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a potential 3 per cent annual reduction in electricity tariffs for general consumers, attributing the move to Maharashtra’s dramatic rise in solar power generation.
Speaking at a ceremony in Shendra MIDC, Auric City, where the state was formally inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records, the Chief Minister said: "By bringing farmers' feeders onto solar power, we will generate an independent 16,000 Megawatts of solar electricity. This pollution-free and low-cost generation will allow us to reduce electricity rates for other sectors annually by 3 per cent."
Fadnavis highlighted that Maharashtra has emerged as the leading state in India in adopting solar energy for agriculture, with 7 lakh solar pumps already installed. The scheme, he noted, became the model for the Centre's 'KUSUM' programme.
Maharashtra has now set a Guinness World Record for installing the highest number of solar agricultural pumps in a single month.
The state power utility Mahavitaran installed 45,911 solar agricultural pumps in one month under the 'Magel Tyala Solar Krushi Pump' (Solar Agricultural Pump on Demand) scheme, surpassing the benchmark required for the world record.
"We have reduced the waiting period by increasing our capacity to install pumps as soon as farmers request them," he said, expressing confidence that Maharashtra would soon surpass its own milestone.
The Chief Minister directed officials to increase the number of solar agricultural pumps to 10 lakh within the next year. The rapid expansion of solar energy, he added, has reshaped the state’s energy landscape and created employment for nearly one lakh people, including vendors, labourers, technicians and maintenance workers.
He explained that the solar pump scheme directly tackles a major challenge in drought-prone regions: the lack of reliable daytime electricity for irrigation. This earlier forced farmers to work at night, often facing risks from insects and wild animals.
Fadnavis praised the Marathwada region for leading the scheme’s implementation, noting that 14,000 pumps had been installed in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district alone. He reiterated the government's commitment to long-term water security, emphasising river-linking projects aimed at diverting floodwaters to dry regions such as Marathwada, Vidarbha and North Maharashtra to ensure "sustainable and prosperous agriculture".
The event also saw the digital inauguration of solar pumps across the state and the signing of an agreement with the AIIB for financial support. Concluding his address, the Chief Minister thanked the people of Maharashtra as his government completed one year, saying, “This year was dedicated to the people… Maharashtra will not stop; it will continue to move forward.”
--IANS
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