A month and half ago, unwanted electrical cables and broken asbestos sheets occupied the terrace of the two-storey Mambalam police station, located near the bus terminus in T. Nagar. Now, a huge portion of the terrace — roughly measuring 2,000 sq.ft — has been freed of this unseemly material. A batch of seven solar panels with a total capacity of three kilowatt (KW) has now taken over this space. The unit has been in operation since the end of March this year, following its inauguration by City Police Commissioner A.K. Viswanathan. “As it is centrally located, the Mambalam police station was shortlisted for the solar energy project. More importantly, unlike many other police stations, the Mambalam police station functions from its own building,” says a police officer attached to the station. Maintained by the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation (TNPHC), the solar power unit at the police station can generate 900 units, which can meet around 15 percent of the total power consumption of the station every two months. The Mambalam police station is the first police station in Chennai to tap solar power to meet its energy needs. Newly-constructed police station buildings including those at Thirumullavoyal, Sembium, Anna Nagar and Muthapetare are being equipped with energy-saving lights.

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