A few days back, major portions of the east-coastal region were hit by Cyclone Amphan. Since then, the majority of the area has been facing power cuts. In fact, Sundarbans remained in darkness even two weeks after Cyclone Amphan hit.
However, a part of the Sundarbans island managed to get some ‘light’— through solar micro-grids.
Satjelia, a small village on the island has six micro-grids, 10kW each. Solar micro-grids are small, localised grids that supply the electricity in the range of 10 to 100 kilowatt using solar power. The micro-grids are not connected to the main grid and can cater to only the local population. In Satjelia, these grids cater to around 600 families of the village. One more such grid will be installed in the adjoining region
The micro-grids have been handed over to the local user community for day-to-day running. People are provided training to maintain these solar grids prior to handling over. Although, the energy is free, families have to pay about Rs 50 a month to use three electrical points — generally a tube light, fan and television. Mobile phones can be charged as well.
“We depend more on solar grids as the main one often gets affected by power cuts or low voltage. Their importance is further understood in case of an emergency,” – said one of the villagers from Satjelia.
In such challenging times, when every other energy resource failed to function, solar energy offers itself as the saviour. Initiatives like such can not only provide energy after a calamity, it can also cater to daily power needs effectively.
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