MARGAO
Power Minister Ramkrishna Dhavalikar’s plans to utilize the barren agricultural fields to set up solar panels to generate power has not found favour with Water Resources Department Minister Subhash Shirodkar.
In fact, the WRD Minister told The Goan on the sidelines of a Provedoria function at Chinchinim village on Monday that he does not agree with the views expressed by the Power Minister in using fallow fields to tap solar energy.
Shirodkar was clear in saying that solar energy can be generated without touching the agricultural fields by setting up the solar panels on concrete buildings, including government and private buildings.
“How can you set up the solar panel in the fields when they will come in the way of distribution of water”, he wondered.
He added: “Our agricultural fields needs to be cultivated for rice production. We have huge land which is housing government and private buildings, which can be used to install solar panels”.
Saying it is not advisable to install solar power panels on agricultural land when they are meant to grow crops, the WRD Minister said he is not in favour of the solar panels coming up in the agricultural fields.
Meanwhile, the WRD Minister said that the WRD will release canal water for the farmers around mid-December. “We will supply the Selaulim irrigation canal water to the farmers by 10-15 December. Farmers are in need of the water at the time of ploughing operations. We will need the demands of the farmers as per their requirements”, Shirodkar added.
