Two villages in Gulmi and Panchthar are getting electricity using modern and environmentally clean source of electricity under cooperation from the Indian Government, the Indian Embassy said.
Altogether 296 homes in Bhadgaon Arkhale village in Gulmi and 135 homes in Sarang Danda village in Panchthar have started receiving home lighting system using solar electrification from 20th June this year.
Each of these homes will receive home lighting system of 75 Watt, consisting of 4 lighting instruments of 12 Watt each, a panel and a maintenance free battery. Solar electrification based on solar photovoltaic panels has been provided under grant assistance from the Government of India.
The total cost of solar electrification of these two villages is NRs 25 million. Approximately 3500 people in Bhadgaon Arkhale and 2500 people in Sarang Danda will benefit from this programme.
This is a pilot project and its successful execution in a short period of eight months has given an impetus for similar such projects in future.
The project has been executed by Central Electronics Ltd., Ghaziabad, a Public Sector Undertaking of Government of India, in close coordination with Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC)/Energy Sector assistance Programme (ESAP) who were involved in all stages of project execution.
The gaon upbhokta samiti was constituted and involved in all stages of project execution, planning and installation. For subsequent maintenance and upkeep of these systems, a pool of six trained personnel from amongst the villagers has been created in each village by imparting training to
them by a technician from Central Electronics Ltd.
In addition, a corpus has been created by local contribution, which has been invested in the local banks and its interest will be utilized for subsequent maintenance of the system. Management of the corpus fund will be the responsibility of the gaon upbhokta samiti constituted to oversee this project.
The projects were formally inaugurated and handed over to the gaon upbhokta samitis at Bhadgaon Arkhale 20 June and Sarang Danda 14 July.