MP forest dept distributes 90 solar lights in Indore village

Indore forest department officials on Monday evening gifted 90 solar lights to residents of Nahar Jhabua village to help them tackle rampant electricity outages. The solar lights cost Rs 500 each. It has a solar panel of three square inches on its rear end with a power backup of 15 hours. It can be used as a torch as well. The department had earlier distributed solar torches among villagers. The department held a programme at its office, attended by chief forest conservator Purshottam Dhiman, forest conservator Vikas Verma and sub-divisional officer (forest) RN Saxena, in the village to distribute the lights.

“Nahar Jhabua, a village of approximately 50 homes, had received power supply a couple of years ago, thanks to Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan. Until then, people depended on sunlight and burnt firewood. Since then, power cuts are a routine affair here,” said Saxena. “They get electricity barely for four to five hours during daytime, with no electricity at night. They don’t get enough electricity for irrigation.” The officer maintained that villages nearer to Indore city get requisite attention from the government but Nahar Jhabua, located on the fringes of the forest department boundary, has remained neglected for long. Thereafter, the forest department took it upon themselves to provide the lights.

To worsen the situation, villagers fail to pay their power bills, resulting in their electricity lines being disconnected by the power discom. Delighted with the department’s gesture, Roop Singh, head of Gram Van Samiti Nahar Jhabua said, “Houses in the proper village have comparatively better electricity supply. Those in the interiors barely get enough electricity to light a bulb or two in the house. Now, we will have light in our houses irrespective of power cut.”

Source:HT