TURA: What started off as a project to provide solar lamps at discounted rates for students living in zones where electricity is an elusive commodity has now evolved into a micro industry in South West Garo Hills involving several women self help groups who have taken over the assemble lines for the manufacture of the lamps that have become a sort of “hot commodity” in several households in several villages.
Progress has been fast compelling the district administration to look at the feasibility of gradually exporting the solar lamps assembled in the area to neighbouring Bangladesh through the Kalaichar border haat.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had recently inaugurated the centre and saw for himself the assembling of the solar lamps by the womenfolk.
“This model is so well development that it not only providing lighting in households, especially for school going children, but also empowering the womenfolk who are getting paid for their work,” said S Ram Kumar while speaking to The Shillong Times at Betasing where the solar lamps are being assembled by the women folk at a centre. The solar panels and components of the lamps are funded by the central government’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in collaboration with the Aditya Birla group’s Idea Cellular and the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai (IIT-Mumbai) is actively involved providing the technical know-how and training the women SHG members who have enrolled in the project initiated by DC of South West Garo Hills district, S Ram Kumar.
The cost of the solar lamp in the open market is approximately Rs 500 a set but with the government subsidy children are able to procure it for a meager one hundred rupees.
The decision to import the lamps components and assemble it at ground zero has helped bring down the production cost.
The members from the twelve women SHGs currently engaged in the assembly lines are tasked with a target to assemble 18,000 solar lamps before the end of December.
