The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) is set to open city’s biggest hall,Suresh Bhat Auditorium with a seating capacity of 2,000, soon. The auditorium will become the city’s first to be illuminated with solar power.
The standing committee headed by Sudhir Raut, on Monday, approved the proposal to set up solar power production system at the auditorium at a cost of Rs 0.0118 billion. The private firm, Sadique and Company, constructing the auditorium will set up the system.
Chief engineer Ulhas Debadwar said 90 per cent works of the auditorium are completed.Planned in 2010, the auditorium took six years to complete due to delay in construction and increase in scope of works. The project was planned at Rs 0.336 billion but the cost gas escalated to Rs 0.77 million.
The two-storey auditorium is coming up in 14,842.43 sq m land situated on one end of the Reshimbagh ground towards Great Nag road. The auditorium will be constructed on the first floor comprising 1,400 seats at the lower level and 600 seats in balcony. The stage will be 25 m-wide covering 300 sq m area.
The solar power system will have an installed capacity to generate 200 kw/hour. It can generate 900-1,000 kw in four-and-a-half to five hours in a day. The total power consumption of the hall will come to around 800 kw/hour. The system will be set up under the state government’s new metering scheme.
By Baishakhi Dutta
