The State Government is considering setting up hydro power generation facilities with the support of local self-government bodies and cooperative institutions, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Saturday. He was inaugurating the 4.5-MW (14 million units per year) hydro power generation facility at Arippara in Kozhikode district.
A communication from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which built the Arippara facility at a cost of ₹52 crore over a period of five years, cited the Chief Minister as saying that small hydel power generation facilities were cheaper and environment-friendly.
He also said that the facility at Arippara was a landmark in the history of CIAL, which runs its airport fully on solar power. CIAL’s solar power generation initiative has caught the attention of the whole world, he added.
Mr. Vijayan said the Government was of the view that power generation should be dependent on renewable sources. The aim is to bank dominantly on water, wind, and sun for energy generation, he added. The previous LDF Government had initiated several measures to implement energy generation programmes, and they are being pursued vigorously, he added.
The Chief Minister also lauded the efforts of CIAL, which had faced major roadblocks like the floods of 2018 and the pandemic during the execution of the Arippara project.
Power Minister K. Krishnankutty presided over the function. Industries Minister P. Rajeeve, Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riaz, and CIAL managing director S. Suhas were among those who were present at the online event.
