The villagers of Muppandal are giving their thanks to Vayu

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Wind Power in Tamil Nadu

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MUPPANDAL, TAMIL NADU, November 1, 2003: It has been ten years since

the first 80-foot blade windmill was installed at Muppandal. Since that

time income for the villagers has risen and thousands of new jobs have

been created to accomodate the wind energy producers. Koilpillai Gopal,

a barber explains, "In 10 years my daily income has gone up to 450

rupees ($10) from 45 rupees." Muppandal is a hilly region where wind

farms have sprung up along a 19-mile road where the wind races in from

the Arabian Sea through gaps between the mountains. Ajay Vikram Singh,

secretary in the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources told

Reuters, "The outlook is optimistic. India has the potential to

generate 45,000 megawatts from wind energy." Presently the industry in

Tamil Nadu generates about half of India's 2,000 megawatts of wind

energy and the government expects that by 2012 the sector will expand

to 5,000 megawatts. India's total electrical production is 102,000

megawatts. Wind power and other sources such as biogas and solar energy

are important to the country as it imports 70% of its crude oil at a

cost of US$17 billion a year. When less coal is burned in India, this

means reduced emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon

dioxide with cleaner air as a bonus. The villagers of Muppandal are

giving their thanks to Vayu, the Hindu God of the Wind, for the

windmills.