India's largest industrial solar plant operational in Punjab

Chandigarh, July 29 (IANS) With a capacity for evaporation and condensation of one lakh litres of waste water per day, India's largest industrial solar plant became operational in Punjab's Ludhiana district Sunday, a minister said.

State Non-conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that the solar plant will perform twin functions of generating solar power besides offering a permanent solution of disposing off large quantity of industrial effluent water by evaporating it.

He said that the Punjab government has installed India's largest solar thermal system in the premises of Kangaro Industries Ltd at village Kanech, near Sahnewal in the district. The company manufactures staplers and staple pins.

The factory used to discharge 12,000 to 15,000 litres, per day, of water which was unfit for consumption and could cause air and soil pollution if discharged into ground.

Majithia said that Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) had installed solar water heating systems with capacity of seven lakh litres this year. The total capacity installed so far in Punjab was nearly 20 lakh litres, he added.

He said that the Punjab government has set a target to generate 1000 MW electricity from non-conventional energy sources.