New Delhi, July 11: Tata Power on Wednesday announced it had been awarded the state-run Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) project to develop five solar projects totalling 250 MW in the state's Tumkur district.

In a statement here, the company said the energy from the five projects of 50 MW each, to be set up at the Pavagada Solar Park in Tumkur, will be supplied to the Karnataka state distribution companies (discoms) under a power purchase agreement (PPA) valid for 25 years.

"The company has won this capacity in a bid at a tariff of Rs 2.85/kWH (kilowatt hour) announced by KREDL during April 2018. The projects will be commissioned within 12 months from the date of signing of the PPA," it said.

Tata Power President, Renewables Ashish Khanna said in a statement: "Pavagada Solar Park has provided us a unique opportunity to enhance our generation capacities in the same location and post development we will have the optimisation advantage of operating more than 400 MW AC power from Pavagada."

The 250 MW solar project is so far the largest bid won by the company, while it currently has an operational capacity of 675 MW, the statement said.

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Bengaluru: In response to the deaths of postnatal women at Ballari District Hospital, the Karnataka government has temporarily suspended the use of IV Ringer Lactate solution across the state as a precautionary measure, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced on Saturday.

Speaking to the media in Bengaluru, the minister explained that doubts about the quality of the IV solution had arisen, prompting the decision. He clarified that Ringer Lactate, along with glucose solutions, has been routinely used in hospitals for years. However, out of the 192 batches supplied by the Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society, concerns were raised regarding two specific batches.

"In light of these concerns, we stopped the use of all 192 batches as a precaution. Following this, the supplying company obtained a High Court order for testing, and the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) conducted an analysis. The CDL report confirmed the usability of the solution, allowing the state to form a technical committee to review and permit the use of certain batches that met quality standards. Despite this, doubts have surfaced specifically at Ballari District Hospital," the minister stated.

To address these concerns, the batches supplied to Ballari Hospital have been sent for anaerobic testing to determine whether the IV solution contributed to the deaths. The test results are expected within a week, after which a final decision on the use of IV Ringer Lactate will be made.

"Until then, we have issued directives to hospitals statewide to suspend the use of IV Ringer Lactate. Every life is important to us, and precautionary measures are essential when suspicions arise," Gundu Rao emphasised.