Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Agartala: Tripura is ditching grid power for the sun. The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency is converting 5,000 drinking water pumps to solar systems. The state aims to stop hemorrhaging money. The Drinking Water and Sanitation department currently drops nearly 125 crore rupees every year just to keep 10,000 conventional pumps running.
TREDA Director General Debabrata Sukladas launched the program after a meeting with Chief Minister Manik Saha. The goal is simple. Cut costs and fix the water supply. Sukladas told PTI, "Following the chief minister's directive, we have initiated a programme to convert at least 5,000 water pumps to solar power to reduce electricity costs."
The agency already floated tenders for the first phase. They plan to swap 2,300 small-bore pumps at a cost of 60 crore rupees. Work starts soon. The team expects this phase to finish between 2026 and 2028. Officials estimate this change will save the department 5 crore rupees each year.
Solar power fixes a major headache in remote, hilly regions. Grid lines do not reach everywhere. Sukladas noted that solar pumps provide a reliable water supply where traditional power fails. Tripura already produces 37 MW of solar energy and wants more.
Investors are biting. During the recent Destination Tripura Business Conclave, the state pulled in 17,000 crore rupees in potential investments. Much of that cash is earmarked for solar projects. Officials are now pushing to turn those promises into concrete work on the ground.
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