
Khargone village ‘lights’ a revolution
On the face of it a tiny village in Khargone district seems an unlikely candidate for pioneering a revolution in street lighting. But Nemit, a hamlet in Bitangaon tehsil inhabited by some 1,000 people, is an exception.
Usually pitch dark in the evening like many parts of the hinterland, the village is now lit up by 15 light-emitting diode (LED) streetlights. The 6-watt solar LED streetlights match the brightness of 13 watt CFLs normally used in solar streetlights but cost much less.
Moreover, unlike conventional fixtures the solar LEDs can be hung outside houses or even from a tree, thus saving the cost of poles one of the major expenses in street lighting.
The street lighting project is an initiative of NGO Education Park started by IIT Bombay professor Chetan Singh Solanki who was born in Nemit village where his parents still stay.
Khargone collector Navneet Kothari formally inaugurated the LED streetlights on Sunday evening at a programme attended by Solanki, Dr Ranganayakulu Bodavala, managing director of Thrive Energy Technologies Pvt Ltd which manufactures the lights, waste management expert Almitra Patel and, of course, a posse of delighted villagers.
Talking to HT over the phone, Solanki said his childhood years were spent poring over academic books by the light of a kerosene lamp. Power generation is an important part of providing job opportunities in rural areas, he added. “I’m from Nemit but I can’t do anything for the village and it can’t give me a job here,” Solanki pointed out.
In an e-mailed note, Dr Bodavala said normal solar CFL streetlights with poles, battery and five-year warranties et al cost between Rs. 18,000 to 24,000 apiece, including one 60 amp battery and a 60-70 watt solar panel.
He said although conventional battery life came with a five-year guarantee, they normally failed within two years due to poor maintenance and/or cannibalisation of parts for other uses. Since it cost Rs. 4,500 to replace a battery, this was rarely done and the solar panels were utilised by influential people for personal use.
Thrive’s street-lights with five watt solar panels, on the other hand, provided better lighting at a total cost of Rs. 3,000 including three years’ maintenance. The LEDs use small four amp sealed leadacid batteries available in any electrical store which can be replaced annually at a cost of Rs. 200.
The removable batteries are recharged daily either from grid power or from rooftop solar panels in villages that lack power supply. The streetlights give five hours’ of full-brightness till about midnight and operate at half-brightness till dawn.
Last but not the least, the LEDs contain no polluting elements, something that can’t be said for mercury-containing fluorescents like tubelights and CFL, he added.

Brother, uncle get double death sentence for raping, beheading 12-year-old girl in MP

Morena hooch tragedy: Main accused Mukesh Kirar held from Chennai

'Crime which I never committed': Ex-army man acquitted after 14 years in jail
- Balveer Singh Yadav, 45, a resident of Bharrad village of Madhya Pradesh's Morena district had been arrested in 2006 in connection to a murder case.

Minor gang-raped by nine people in MP

Man dies after friend inserts air compressor into rectum to relieve constipation
- The victim died on Saturday while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

10 students test positive for Covid-19 at a girls' school in MP's Betul

A security guard and a sanitation worker first to get Covid-19 vaccine in MP
- Yadav has shown through for his commitment while managing the crowd of patients and visitors at the hospital without taking a single leave since March 2020, said a hospital official

Retd Air Force officer was drugged in MP before set on fire, 6 arrested
- The accused confessed to their crime and said they killed Sahu over a dispute over ₹5 crore that the deceased was demanding from Naresh Gurjar, one of the main accused, said police.

'Covaxin, Covishield properly tested and are safe': Madhya Pradesh CM

Congress leader’s remark on girls’ reproductive age backfires, BJP seeks apology
- A senior BJP leader said it was unfortunate that Congress leaders continue to insult women but the Congress high command remains silent.

Chouhan emphasises police action in recovery of missing girls, women
- The DGP stated eloping with boyfriends as one of the reasons behind the disappearance of girls and women in urban areas.

People in MP village go on digging spree in hope to find Mughal-era treasure
- People found ancient coins on the bank of river in Madhya Pradesh's Shivpura village a few days ago.

In Madhya Pradesh, organisations seek to stop Covaxin trial
- Covaxin is India’s first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech.

Madhya Pradesh govt to adopt Kerala's Responsible Tourism Mission model
