SHILLONG, Nov 13: QNET, a prominent Asian direct selling company, has joined hands with Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) to support electrification project in remote places of Meghalaya and upgrade the healthcare infrastructure here.
According to a statement, QNET’s CSR arm RYTHM Foundation partnership with Global Himalayan Expedition has been initiated to introduce solar energy to remote communities of the North East.
The new project has also been initiated to bring solar energy to remote tribal communities in the state of Meghalaya and upgrade the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
“The project titled ‘Empowering North-East India’ aims to bring electricity to 470 villagers and solar power to a primary healthcare centre catering to over 23,000 residents in the region. In the first phase, RYTHM Foundation has pledged its support to the project for a period of one year,” the statement said.
“Further, in order to address the lack of energy access and healthcare facilities in the tribal villages in Meghalaya, GHE and RYTHM Foundation embarked on this new partnership that takes a two-pronged approach that will bring solar electricity to these remote tribal communities and help upgrade the healthcare infrastructure in the area. Furthermore, the pandemic has made this an urgent priority since the healthcare centres in the area have been essential in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine delivery for these villages. With access to electricity, expected outcomes include a significant decrease in infant mortality rate as well as a decline in the number of deaths due to lack of access to critical care equipment,” it added.
Further elucidation on the facelift bid revealed that the technology involved in the project is a simple plug-and-play solar micro-grid solution that is installed in each home. “Every house gets a solar panel with a battery pack which is wired with high-performance LED lights, low energy consumption motor fans, and mobile charging facilities. The grids are also capable of taking on any additional load,” it was informed.
“There is no grid line. Each home produces and consumes its own energy. The future of electricity is becoming grid independent so that household access to power is not susceptible to hurricanes, rainfall, or any other weather related incidents,” explained Jaideep Bansal, chief operating officer of the GHE.
It may be mentioned that the RYTHM Foundation in partnership with GHE had recently brought solar energy to Rongdo village in Ladakh.