Assam Government to Set Up Solar Power Project in Sonitpur

GUWAHATI: The state government of Assam is aiming to set up a solar power plant in an attempt to shift to clean energy. A 50 MW solar power plant will be set up in the Barchalla region of the Sonitpur district of Assam where the government had evicted about 1000 bigha of land last year.

The announcement came after a state cabinet meeting which was chaired by the chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma.

"We will make a 50 MW solar park at Barchalla, where an eviction drive took place last year. This will further protect the area from any possibility of future encroachment," announced Jayanta Malla Baruah, the tourism minister of Assam.

On September 3, 2023, the Assam government carried out one of the biggest eviction drives in the state. The project cleared 1000 bigha of land and displaced nearly 300 families which were allegedly occupying the land illegally. Many of these families were mentioned to have lived in this location over many years in the past.

In the same cabinet meeting, a new river tourism project was approved by the state government. The tourism minister announced that a closed river circuit will be created to encourage tourism in the region. Developed under the Sagar Mala project of the government of India, this project will connect the temples of Kamakhya, Doul Gobinda, Ashwaklanta, Umanada and Pandu Nath. These temples are located on the north bank, south bank and even in the centre of the Brahmaputra river in Guwahati.

"A ferry will connect these areas through a hop-on hop-off service. It will be a joint venture between the state government and the Centre. The state will have 45 per cent share, and 55 per cent will be held by the Centre," said the tourism minister.

The same meeting also approved the setting up of smart electric meters in 44 lakh households.

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