Energy efficiency steps help Andhra Pradesh's TTD save 80 lakh units

TIRUPATI: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) saved 80 lakh units of power during the year after installation of LED and CFL bulbs at Tirumala. The Electrical Department officials informed the same to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Committee on Public Undertakings.    Under the chairmanship of Kagitha Venkata Rao, the committee reviewed the power administration in TTD, APSPDCL, Tourism Corporation, AP Forest Department and others at a  meeting at Padmavathi Rest House in Tirupati on Thursday.

SE (Electrical) Chandra Sekhar Reddy explained to the committee that the TTD was implementing the previous committee’s advice in this regard. “The TTD is consuming 478 lakh units of power a year at Tirumala. In the first phase, we installed the energy efficient lights at all open and public areas and where flexibility is there and also we are planning to implement the second phase with an aim to save another 75 lakh units of power in a year from the existing consumption of TTD,” he said.

Nine main roads
The SE said that TTD has nine main roads of 26 km long and one could save 15 lakh units after replacing LED and CFL bulbs. “We have generated 6 MW of wind power through SUZLON company wind mills in the BOOT system which was completed 10 years ago. Now, the TTD is administering the same,” he said.
MM Nayak, Chairman and MD and APSPDCL, said that to produce wind power for TTD’s consumption, there was need for 125 acres of land which wasn’t available in Chittoor district. “But, we have provided uninterrupted power to TTD and there are no payment dues,” he said. 

Kadapa MLA and committee member Amjad Basha requested TTD EO Anil K Singhal to build a Mandapam at Kodur for the benefit of devotees who reach Tirumala on foot. MLC V Balasubramanyam appealed to the TTD that there was a scarcity of coal and TTD should concentrate on alternative power.

Culinary varsity construction
Tourism officers reported that the Culinary University construction would be completed within three months, and Devlok construction has been delayed since last three years and notice had been served to them. “Among six Haritha Hotels, a Haritha Hotel at Puligundu was running losses, but through vehicles, the department was getting revenue and there was a need to increase vehicles,” Tourism officials said.
The officials said that with `7 crore, the Tourism Department had constructed a hotel in PPP mode and required another `10 crore to make it fully functional.