The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency has launched a programme to convert around 5,000 electricity powered drinking water pumps to solar energy to cut the state power bill. The Drinking Water and Sanitation department currently spends around Rs 1,250 million (mn) annually on electricity to operate nearly 10,000 conventional water pumps across the state. The move follows a review chaired by the chief minister in which high expenditure on water supply was identified as a priority for reduction. TREDA director general Debabrata Sukladas said the agency has initiated the conversion of at least 5,000 water pumps and has begun work on a first phase covering 2,300 small bore pumps at an estimated cost of Rs 600 million (mn). The agency has floated a tender and indicated that work is expected to begin shortly and that the first phase is scheduled for completion during FY 2026-28. The project design aims to replace grid dependent units and to lower recurring electricity charges for the water department. The conversion of the initial 2,300 pumps alone is expected to save the Drinking Water and Sanitation department around Rs 50 million (mn) a year in electricity charges. The director general noted that maintaining conventional supply in remote hilly areas poses logistical and financial challenges and that extending grid connectivity to sparsely populated locations is often not economically viable. Solar powered pumps are being positioned as a solution to ensure reliable supply while reducing operating costs. TREDA currently generates around 37 megawatt (MW) of solar power in the state and reported strong investor interest in renewable projects at a recent business conclave. The power sector attracted proposals worth Rs 170 billion (bn), a substantial share of which relate to solar energy, and officials said the agency is working to translate proposals into projects on the ground. The programme will prioritise remote locations and aim to integrate local maintenance arrangements to sustain operation.