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Bihar's 'First Solar Village' Is Now A Makeshift Cattle Shed
Writer: Rafia Tasleem
She is pursuing Masters in Mass Communication 2nd Year from Aligarh Muslim University. She has completed her graduation in Political Science honors from AMU.
Bihar, 21 Dec 2021 2:31 PM GMT | Updated 22 Dec 2021 6:04 AM GMT
Editor : Ankita Singh |
A literature lover who likes delving deeper into a wide range of societal issues and expresses her opinions about the same. Keeps looking for best-read recommendations while enjoying her coffee and tea.
Creatives : Ankita Singh
A literature lover who likes delving deeper into a wide range of societal issues and expresses her opinions about the same. Keeps looking for best-read recommendations while enjoying her coffee and tea.
Once the solar batteries were drained out, there were no repairs or maintenance.Hence, the village got shifted to a thermal power grid where electricity was cheaper ending the village's solar dream.
In August 2014, the Chief Minister of Bihar had inaugurated a 100-Kilowatt solar mini-grid in the Dharnai village in the Jehanabad district of Bihar. The initiative was a benchmark as Dharnai has been without electricity since 1981.
"After nearly 30 years of darkness, the village saw power for the first time, and it was because of solar energy," Ran Vijay Sharma, 72, said.
After the installation of the solar mini-grid, the town was promoted as the state's "first solar village," and attracted tourists, bureaucrats, international visitors to the place. The project was funded by environmental NGO Greenpeace with support from other organizations such as CEED and Basix.
Once the solar batteries were drained out, there were no repairs or maintenance hence the village got shifted to a thermal power grid where electricity was cheaper ending the village's solar dream.
Defunct Project Site
At the now-defunct project site, the villagers told Mongabay-India that when Nitish Kumar came to inaugurate the project, some people protested against it, and asked for asli bijli (real power) instead of nakli bijli (fake electricity) referring to solar energy.
Subsequently, three years after the inauguration, the solar mini-grid started collapsing. "In the first three years, it worked well and people were using it," Ravi Kumar, a shopkeeper from the village, told Mongabay-India while pointing towards the installed infrastructure. "
But after three years the batteries were exhausted and it was never repaired. So now, while the solar rooftops, CCTV cameras, and other infrastructure are intact, the whole system has become a showpiece for us. No one uses solar power anymore here. The glory of Dharnai has ended," reported Moneycontrol.
Dharnai , an off-grid solar project, is not connected with the main power grid once electricity reaches unelectrified villages, the infrastructure and funds used in the installation of such off-grid plants could prove futile.
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