PM Modi lays foundation stone for high-capacity FM transmitters

Ramesh Chand Ahirwar, deputy director general (engineering) of the Rajkot cluster of All India Radio (AIR), said: “There are existing transmitters of 100 watts and five kilowatt in Dwarka and Bhuj, respectively. The PM laid the foundation stone of Prasar Bharti’s projects to replace these existing transmitters with 10 kilowatts and 20 kilowatts, respectively.”

The AIR Rajkot cluster includes much of Saurashtra and Kutch. “The signal of existing FM transmitters in Dwarka are available in a radius of 15 to 20 km. When the 10 kilowatt transmitter becomes operational, the signals will be available in 60 to 70 km area. Similarly, the range of FM station in Bhuj will go up to more than 150 km from the existing 60-70 km,” said Ahirwar.

The PM also inaugurated a 100 watt FM station in Deesa town of Banaskantha. “This will benefit around 2.5 lakh people, covering Deesa town and rural areas falling in the radius of 12 to 15 km,” the Press Information Bureau said in a statement. The Deesa station has been set up at a cost of Rs 28 lakh, it added.

The statement said that the Radhanpur transmitter is being upgraded from 100 watt to 10 kilowatt. “We will construct a new 100-m tall transmission tower in Dwarka as the existing tower, had become old and had to be dismantled before cyclone Biparjoy hit last June,” said Ahirwar.