Home-made micro-hydro receives financial award

[TamilNet, Monday, 20 June 2005, 13:34 GMT]
Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) Saturday donated one hundred thousand rupees and a push bicycle to Mr.Radhakrishnan of Right Bank of Muthiankaddu in Mullaitivu district as an incentive to his successful effort in generating electricity from a hydro-power plant he constructed utilizing a three feet water head from Muthiankaddu tank to power a water turbine.

TRO officials visited the residence of Mr.Radhakrishnan on Saturday and spent an hour looking at a demonstration of the equipment Mr Radhakrishnan used in his scheme to generate electricity. He had constructed a small dam to form a reservoir with the spill and drainage water from the tank and then used the roughly 3 feet head to force the water through a ten inch- diameter pipe to rotate 'water turbine' with a permanent magnet alternator for power generation.

Mr.Radhakrishnan, father of three accepting the donation thanked the TRO for the financial incentive.

He briefed the TRO officials about the difficult period he underwent following Jayasikuru military operation. He told the TRO officials that he still struggles to meet the ends meet.

He said he is currently working as a manual labourer. He said had invested his small savings in this project. His sole aim is to start an own industry, he told the TRO officials.

Mr.Radhakrishnan further said he is supplying electricity from his plant to a Hindu temple and to some houses for children to study.