Uttarakhand CM inaugurates first Pirul power project

Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 1 : Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Wednesday inaugurated a 25-kilowatt capacity project worth Rs 25 lakhs for generating electricity using Pirul (dry pine needles) at Chakon Dhanari village in Dunda block of Uttarkashi district.
Speaking on the occasion, Rawat said that the project will be very useful for protecting the ecology from fires.
"Fires in the forests destroy trees, medical plants and herbs whereas a large number of wild animals also got affected. However, with the start of this project for generating electricity using Pirul, the forests and wildlife will also be protected from forest fires. This initiative will also help generate employment opportunities," he said.
The Chief Minister underlined that Uttarakhand, which currently purchases electricity worth Rs 1,000 crores said such projects will also help the state financially.
Rawat pointed out that about 23 lakh metric tonnes of Pirul is produced annually in the state, which can be used to generate about 200 megawatt of electricity.
He further said that Kalavasa is found in considerable quantities in the remote areas of the state and exhorted farmers to cultivate Kalavasa while citing the medical properties of this herb.
Rawat said that 250 satellite phones have been distributed to residents of border areas in the view of networking issues.
He said that the government has approved Rs 40 lakhs for installing towers at places with no network connectivity.
He informed that 67,000 water connections have been given in the last three months.