Talks around renewable sources of energy are not new. Given where the world is headed, exploring alternative and reliable sources of energy is the need of the hour. Here are seven Indian villages which have walked the talk and are shining examples of what renewable sources of energy can do.
Dungarpur, Rajasthan
Scarcity of water and electricity and poverty- that was Dungarpur sometime back. Solar Lamps bought light to many lives of this village. After training in how to work with and repair solar lamps many women from this village have taken to earning a livelihood repairing these solar lamps.
Kosamba, Gujarat
Water is a scarcity and it is a scary thought to be left without any water. So when the villagers from Kosamba started facing regular water crisis, there were not the ones who would just sit on it. An industrial belt, water waste was a regular feature and they battled that rightly. Three check dams was the solution. Not only people from Kosamba benefited but also villagers from Vagphal and Panchmuwa from the Panchmahal district got water relief.
Dantla, Rajasthan
A tiny village in the Sikar district of Rajasthan lost all hope when surface water was found draining out. Solution was in channelizing the drainage line to feed existing ponds and wells. Renovation of the ponds was quick and the outcome benefited over 15000 villagers. Water table was revitalized and hand pumps and wells of six villages near Dantla now have enough water to meet the daily needs of villagers.
Patna village of Chhatarpur District, Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh
Ground water has been depleting in India and agriculture is one of the first that gets affected because of this. Imagine the catastrophic impact of this on the lives of people from a country where majority of the population is still dependent on agriculture. Droughts became synonymous with villages under the Bundelkhand region. Once again the solution was simple. Check dams and earthen ponds soon restored water in this region. With 42 water conservation structures built the region now holds the capacity of storing more than 745 million liters of water.
Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh
Two villages in Kannauj district in Uttar Pradesh joined the category of solar powered villages. Life for people from Fakirpur and Chanduhar villages in Kannauj was in darkness after sunset, literally. As luck would have it, these villages from the remotest corner of UP today have solar energy in 450 homes.
Dharnai, Bihar
This is the first solar powered village in India. After 33 years of darkness, Dharnai declared itself as an energy-independent village in 2014. It is the first Indian village powered entirely by solar electricity. A solar powered micro-grid led to this achievement. Today, the Dharnai micro-grid serves about 450 homes, housing 2,400 residents, providing electricity in 2 schools, 1 health centre, 1 farmer training centre, 1 anganwadi, 50 commercial shops, water pumps and street lights.
Baripatha, Odisha
A tribal village about 25 km from Bhubaneshwar was in darkness till very recent. A village that houses approximately 350 people was sadly leading lives without electricity. But with individual solar lamps for each house, this village has moved away from the conventional one solar power grid model and is now a leading example for many other villages across India.
It's important we all realise the potential of renewable sources of energy and how one simple step can make a difference to so many lives. Watch how Anandana, Coca- Cola India Foundation has been bringing happiness to so many lives. Let's help make a difference.