The picture on the poster being used to promote the solar park in Pavagada, Karnataka, is actually from Bavaria, Germany.
On 1 March, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated the “world’s largest solar park”, a 2,000 MW facility located in Pavagada, Karnataka. The poster used to promote the park, however, uses a picture of a solar park that’s actually located in Germany.
The office of the Chief Minister of Karnataka tweeted a picture on 28 February, writing that the solar park’s inauguration was “another feather in the hat” for Karnataka, when in reality, the picture being used was fake.
The tweet has been retweeted 300 times, and has received over 800 likes. It was deleted on 3 March.
The photograph used in the tweet is of Pocking Solar Park in Bavaria, Germany. This photovoltaic power station has an installed capacity of 10 MW, and was completed in 2006. It has been functional since then.
According to another website, the solar park used to be world’s largest, and is located on a former military base. The website published the article in 2015, and used the same picture that the Karnataka government has used.
The Pavagada Solar Park has been in the works since 2015, and has been a major government project for the poll-bound state. The total investment required for the park to reach its full capacity is estimated at being almost Rs. 15,000 crores.
By the end of January 2018, 200 MW of power was commissioned, with the capacity set to go up to 2,700 MW by the end of this year. It is the largest photovoltaic power station in the world.
The Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Ltd (KSPDCL) was launched in 2015 to implement solar power projects in the state. Pavagada is its biggest project. The region is arid, and has been affected by drought in the past. The project was intended to develop the area, generate employment, and bring development.
This article is in collaboration with SM Hoaxslayer.
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