Kateel Durgaparameshwari temple in Dakshina Kannada district has gone a head in achieving self-sufficient, in using the available water from the river, to generate electricity. The man behind this installation is Jayapura Rathnakar, a native of Balehonnur in Chikmagalur. This is his 310th turbo hydro electricity project.
The generation of electricity on pilot project has been started in the temple. The CFL bulbs in the temple hall is lit using the electricity generated using the turbine. The temple is situated in the middle of river Nandini and has started generating electricity. The temple is located about 30 kilometres from Mangalore city and attracts thousands of devotees every day.
A 25 kW mini-hydel turbine has been installed to produce power from the Nandini river.
As the water-level in Nandini river dries up during summer, electricity can not be generated throughout the year, says Rathnakar.
“We are into manufacturing and installing customised hydro-electric turbines. The installed turbine can generate 40 units per hour,” he says.
He said this may be the first temple in the state to achieve self-sufficient in electricity. The turbine operates with the pressure of the water collected in the vented dam. At present, 3,000 watt electricity is supplied to the temple. Depending on the availability of water and demand for electricity, the generation of electricity will be expanded. The turbine has been fixed at one of the vents of a dam built across the river.
He says “we have similar water bodies all over the State. With the will power, we can start generating electricity using the similar technique, to reduce the dependence on power grids. It will also help in lighting the streetlights as well,” he said.
Ratnakar said that he had first generated hydel power to meet his domestic power requirement. Later, he started manufacturing turbines on demand for other users as well. He has set up several such units with a generation capacity of one or two KV in Dakshina Kannada, Kadagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur districts and outside the state. In Dakshina Kannada, he had recently installed in a Naxal infested area at Navur.
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