Three Kullu villages get power after 71 yrs

Our Correspondent

Kullu, June 18

Residents of the remote villages of Shakti, Maror and Shugad under Gadaparli panchayat in Banjar subdivision of the district will not have to spend nights in the dark as the villages will soon be illuminated by solar lights.

The non-electrified villages fall in the Great Himalayan National Park area and these had been deprived of electricity since Independence.

There are about 54 houses in the three villages having a total population of around 220 persons.

An NGO, Centre for Sustainable Development, has set up a solar panel of 400 watt for each house that can power around eight bulbs.

Praveen Sharma, executive director of the NGO, said equipment worth Rs 60 lakh were installed in the villages to provide solar electricity.

Now the villagers could watch TV and recharge their mobile phones using solar power, he said.

Praveen said four temples and a school were also provided solar lights and a 1,250-watt generator was installed for conducting functions and ceremonies in the villages.

He said that solar lights were provided to the villagers with the help of an American company.

“It was a very difficult task to carry the equipment weighing over 20 tonne as the villages are not connected by road,” he said.

The executive director further added, “It took over 14 days to install the solar equipment in the villages.”

He further added that the project was accomplished with the help of Ravi Sinha and Bhaskar DK.

Solar equipment worth Rs 60 lakh installed 

• The non-electrified villages fall in the Great Himalayan National Park area. 
• They have been deprived of electricity since Independence. 
• Equipment worth Rs 60 lakh have been installed in the 3 villages to provide solar electricity.
• Solar lights have been provided to the villagers with the help of an American company