Kateel Temple: The first to achieve self sufficiency in electricity.

Kateel Temple: The first to achieve self sufficiency in electricity.

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Aug 27,2012: Kateel Durgaparameshwari Temple in Dakshina Kannada district has gone ahead in achieving self-sufficient, in using the available water from the Nandini 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 are lit using the electricity generated using the 25 kW mini-hydel turbines.

The temple is situated in the middle of river Nandini and has started generating electricity. The temple which attracts thousands of devotees every day is located about 30 kilometres  from Mangalore city.

“The main drawback of this project is that during summer as the water-level in the river dries up electricity cannot be generated. We are into manufacturing and installing customized 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.

“We have similar water bodies all over the State.With willpower, 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 proudly stated.

Ratnakar recalled 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.