Municipal school board to install solar panels in 88 govt schools and save Rs 84L in power bills annually Setting a precedent for private schools that provide the best facilities to students for hefty fees, government schools in Rajkot have decided to make power while the sun shines.
As many as 88 government primary schools will install solar rooftop panels and generate their own power, thereby not only saving costs but also providing an ideal environment to students to learn about sustainable practices and green policies first-hand.
Narendrasinh Thakur, chairman of Rajkot’s Municipal School Board, said, “The government schools have been doing their best to provide best quality education and facilities to children on a par with private schools. Now, the Rajkot Municipal School Board has come up with a first-of-its kind initiative in Gujarat. We have decided to install solar panels on the rooftops of each school.”
Thakur said that around 34,000 students are enrolled in the 88 government primary schools. The school board known as ‘Nagar Prathmik Shikshan Samiti’ employs a teaching staff of 1,040 and non-teaching staff of 500 people. “The board pays a bill of Rs 7 lakh per month when schools regularly function. However, after installing the solar panels, the board will not only be able to save Rs 84 lakh a year, but may also earn by producing surplus power. The saved amount would be used to provide more classroom facilities and educational aids for students,” said Thakur.
Vishal Makwana, principal of RMC School No 73 lauded the move saying, “Now each school will be atmanirbhar for power. The students are going to greatly benefit from the money saved.”
Thakur added that due to the lockdown the school board had already been saving Rs 5 lakh per month on electricity bills. The new solar facility may incur a cost of over Rs 2 crore.
Currently, the schools have been assigned duties to survey their electricity needs. The board will also consider the future power requirements which may increase. Based on these, a tendering process will be carried out.
The board has received support from state government and local administration for the project.
“We are expecting that within the next 4-5 months the entire project would be completed. By March 2021, the schools should be able to start generating power on their own. The entire project cost would be borne by Rajkot Municipal Corporation,” Thakur said.
Source: ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes
