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Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Solar Projects A Ray Of Hope To Curb Electricity Budgets
Pune: When Park Royale, a housing society with 433 flats in Wakad, first installed a solar project seven years ago, the pilot phase yielded promising results. Encouraged, they scaled up the total capacity to 172.5-kW and today, their annual electricity expenses for common amenities in the complex have dropped from Rs62 lakh to just Rs13.5 lakh — almost a fifth of costs — thanks to the switch to solar. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This reduced expenditure even includes the Rs7 lakh used for operating their society's sewage treatment plant (STP), which now runs on a green meter (providing subsidized govt charges for power). Society chairman Manoj Shinkar told TOI, "Initially, we had installed a 30-kW solar plant in 2018, and the investment was recovered in just two years as we also received govt subsidy on it. Encouraged by the savings, we expanded the project gradually in four different phases and reached 172.5-kW by 2023." Park Royale is one of the housing societies in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad that are choosing to significantly cut down on electricity costs by switching to solar power. By installing rooftop solar systems, many societies have managed to power all their common area facilities—lifts, water pumps, and lighting—entirely through solar energy. Members of such societies say the move has led to substantial savings, amounting to lakhs of rupees annually, allowing them to reduce monthly maintenance charges for residents. Shinkar echoed that the benefits get passed on to flat owners. "Earlier, we charged Rs3 per sqft as maintenance. This has reduced to Rs2.5 per sqft—one of the lowest maintenance charges by any housing society in Wakad and nearby areas," he said. The entire solar setup cost the society Rs95 lakh by 2023, and the agency will handle maintenance for the next five years after each installation at no extra cost as per the agreement. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now With money saved on power bills, the society has also invested in other infrastructure upgrades, including a Rs15 lakh waste composting plant. Additionally, all common areas are now equipped with energy-efficient LED lighting to further reduce power consumption. Another such example is the La Melosa Housing Society — also in Wakad — which has 234 flats. The society installed a 76-kW solar system in March this year. Society chairman Jasbir Singh said, "Over the last two months, our common electricity bill dropped from an average of Rs2-Rs2.4 lakh per month to just Rs3,500 per month. The difference is staggering." Singh said the installation agency estimated annual savings of Rs18 lakh, considering that power generation from solar systems usually reduces during the monsoon season and one may need to pay more towards electricity bills during that period."We spent Rs35 lakh on the project after receiving govt subsidy and expect to recover this cost in two years," he added. The society financed the project internally and plans to reduce the monthly maintenance fee once the investment is recovered. "For any housing society, electricity and water are the major expenses covered under maintenance. If we manage these efficiently, the overall cost for residents can be brought down significantly. That's why every society should consider installing solar systems," Singh said. Besides large complexes, many smaller residential establishments are also adopting solar energy, such as the Bhagyashree Apartments in Pune's Kothrud. The 10-flat residential building was recently recognized and felicitated by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) as the first fully solar-powered residential apartment in the entire district. The society had initially installed an 11-kW solar system two years ago to power common amenities. Encouraged by the savings and efficiency, residents decided to extend solar power usage to all individual flats. Accordingly, in Jan this year, they added another 19-kW system, including -1-kW system for four flats, 2-kW for three flats and 3-kW for the remaining three flats, making the entire building solar powered. Mandar Deshmukh, a resident here, said, "Earlier, the monthly electricity bill for my individual flat was around Rs2,000. Since switching to solar, it has dropped to zero." The building now has a total of 30-kW rooftop solar capacity, which meets the entire electricity demand of all 10 flats and common areas, making it a model for sustainable residential living. Solar agencies confirmed that they are getting increased inquiries from housing societies — but added that many hesitate to install it due to shortage of funds. On average, it costs around Rs25 lakh to install a 50-kW solar project. "However, housing societies can also opt for OPEX (operating expense model), under which the third-party vendor owns, installs, operates and maintains the solar system, and the housing society only pays for their consumption, with fixed and reduced rates compared to normal electricity charges charged by MSEDCL," a solar agency operator said, adding that the vendor and societies make an agreement for a fixed period after which the complete set-up is given to the housing society for free. The operator said, "If societies want to fund the project on their own, agencies also help them get a subsidy of Rs18,000 per kW from state govt." There has been a surge in demand from residential properties for solar system installation in the last one-and-a-half years, particularly after govt launched the 'PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana', said SunGet Solar Infra owner Dipak Kotkar. Under this scheme, consumers with individual flats or houses are provided financial assistance of Rs30,000 per kW project (which for society complexes is Rs18,000 per kW). "We had to increase our manpower after this scheme was launched as it has received a very good response. There is a need to simplify the process so that more people can apply for it," Kotkar told TOI. "For instance, the govt online portal keeps getting upgraded, so data of earlier applications is lost and needs to be constantly refilled. Further, there are no dedicated offline govt centres for troubleshooting glitches, only call centres," he elaborated. Confirming the reaction to the scheme, Sunil Kakde, chief engineer of MSEDCL Pune zone, said, "There has been a good response to the PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana from housing societies as well as individual households. Residents are widely utilizing the scheme mainly to power common facilities, such as water pumps and lifts, using solar energy. Govt provides 18,000 per kW subsidy to projects at housing societies up to 500-kW capacity. "
Express Tribune
17-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Faith healer arrested for sexual assault
In Dhoke Elahi Bakhsh area of Waris Khan Police Station, a fake spiritual healer (pir) was arrested after he was accused of making inappropriate advances and threatening a woman while claiming to cure illnesses and exorcise jinns. According to police, the victim, a resident of Azad Kashmir suffering from epilepsy, had tried various treatments without success. She came across a video of the accused, Pir Khurram, on TikTok, who claimed to treat patients through spiritual healing. Her uncle, Tariq Mehmood, who was aware of her condition, contacted Pir Khurram and arranged an appointment. Pir Khurram demanded a fee of Rs100,000. On arrival, he collected Rs5,000 as an emergency payment and took the woman into a room to perform the spiritual healing. Observing her worsening condition, her uncle entered the room. At this point, Pir Khurram reportedly began inappropriate physical contact under the pretence of treatment and removed the woman's dupatta. He touched different parts of her body, claiming she was possessed by jinns and administered water that made her condition worse. When her uncle tried to take her to the hospital, Pir Khurram became angry, demanding the remaining Rs95,000.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Gold drops Rs4,100 from April peak on Akshaya Tritiya, sales mixed amid high prices
Nagpur: Gold prices dipped to Rs95,400 per 10 grams (tola) on Akshaya Tritiya on Wednesday — a fall of Rs4,100 from the April peak of Rs99,500. However, the yellow metal remains significantly costlier compared to last year, when it was priced at Rs80,600 on the same day. Silver held steady at Rs96,000 per kg. Jewellers in Nagpur and across the country reported mixed sales trends on Wednesday. While value-wise business may have seen an uptick due to higher rates, the volume of gold sold — measured in weight — has likely declined. "Sales are up in value terms, but we expect a 40% drop in volume compared to earlier years," said Pradeep Kothari of M/s Karan Kothari Jewellers. "Customers are buying, but less in quantity." Nitin Khandelwal, former director of the Gems and Jewellery Council (GJC), said that sales on Akshaya Tritiya in 2024 had already declined compared to 2023 due to price hikes. "Crowds are visible in stores, but the final tally will be clearer the next day," he added. Rajesh Rokde, president of GJC and a city-based jeweller, said customers have gradually accepted high prices, and overall sales were in line with expectations. "Despite the drop from the April peak, gold is still expensive. Yet, buyers are participating, possibly with adjusted budgets," he said. In his capacity as the national chairman of the jewellers' guild, Rokde estimated that total sales across India could touch Rs20,000 crore on Wednesday. "According to GJC's estimates, monthly transactions involving up to 1,200 tonnes of gold take place — 800 tonnes through imports and another 400 tonnes received from customers selling old gold." He further added that the annual average gold turnover is around 3.5 tonnes in terms of physical weight. "On Akshaya Tritiya, the volume typically rises 6 to 7 times, reaching around 20 tonnes in a single day. At current prices, that translates to ₹20,000 crore in value," he explained. Though the day remained active in many parts of India, a clearer sales picture is expected once the World Gold Council (WGC) releases its data.
