SUCCESS STORY OF SOLAR LANTERNS
Much before the Koyna dam was built or thought of, that is, before 1951, there in the valley lived many families along with their farms and cattle. The whole valley was and is still covered with greenery and trees. This valley was the source of life for the farmers. In those days they lived without electricity. The movement in the valley depended upon the daylight.
After 5.30 pm or so the darkness covered the whole valley. The nocturnal animals came out of their hiding.This confined the valley dwellers to their homes after dusk time. Such condition prevailed till the dam was planned. After the execution of the dam plan all the valley-dwellers had to sacrifice their land for the catchment of the water for the rest of the Maharashtra.
The dam was built on Koyna river and then came the Hydro Electric power to light the homes of the people in Maharashtra, the agricultural and to power the later Industries in Maharashtra. But those who sacrificed their lands many families have no electricity till today. That was the reason why the SCOPE thought of raising funds for Solar Lanterns in these homes. http://www.deccanherald.com/images/editor_images1/2011/01/06/koyna-dam.jpg
The Needs of the night
1. The children cannot study in the night.
2. To give fodder for the domestic animals, or even to see their well-being in the night.
3. In rainy season snakes and other poisonous creatures creep and crawl in the houses.
4. Often the farms which are irrigated in the night need to be paid attention. But due to nocturnal beasts
which prowl in the night for hunting the farmers cannot get out of the house.
5. Often the community cannot gather even when there is a dire need to come together in the night, especially
when there are deaths or some member is sick etc.
6. For natural call like toilet the people cannot come out without any danger to their lives.
The SCOPE had convened several meetings of all the villagers in several villagers. The people voiced their need of Electricity from the Electricity Board of Maharashtra.
The Practical difficulties for Electricity:
1. Geographical difficulties like high hills, forest areas. Such terrain creates difficulties in
carrying the Electrical poles and the cost increases.
2. The electricity user/customer has to pay a certain amount of deposit to the Electricity Board.
Those who have paid the deposits are the shopkeepers. According to them, the deposit is
very high which an ordinary family cannot pay.
3. There are subsidies government has allowed but the procedure is rather tedious. Hence, the
people have no patience to go through a long process. For this, they have to keep aside their
daily farm work which is a livelihood for them and go to the District place. The district place is
far and expensive. This means that the whole process is beyond their livelihood.
Considering all these difficulties a suggestion was brought forward from the SCOPE about a provision of SOLAR Lanterns.
A Discussion on Solar System:
In One of the meetings with the valley-dwellers, we suggested the Solar Lantern as one of the possible alternatives. The people wanted to know more about it and they also had a lot of questions. They specifically asked about t he capacity of the lantern during heavy rainfall. They were told that whatever light there is with that the lantern can be charged. But the beneficiaries also have to take care that they do not exhaust the capacity and use as and when required only. After having answered all that they wanted to know they agreed to buy the Solar Lanterns. The Solar Lanterns were purchased and distributed to them. Of course, they too contributed towards the lanterns.
The Use of the Solar Lanterns:
1. Their children who attend the day school need to study at home. Often they have to study in the light of the locally made Kerosene lamp or candle light.
2. The lanterns are used to go out of the house for various purposes like toilet in the night, for some household need to neighbourhood,
In the Satara back water area tribal families gave their land for hydro electric power to supply the electric power to the city and sugarcane farm those who have land more than 5 to 10 acre above land. Last 60 year this backwater family did not get proper compensations from government and there is no proper rehabilitation almost 10 villages including 500 hundred families.
After 5.30 pm or so the darkness covered the whole valley. The nocturnal animals came out of their hiding.This confined the valley dwellers to their homes after dusk time. Such condition prevailed till the dam was planned. After the execution of the dam plan all the valley-dwellers had to sacrifice their land for the catchment of the water for the rest of the Maharashtra.
The dam was built on Koyna river and then came the Hydro Electric power to light the homes of the people in Maharashtra, the agricultural and to power the later Industries in Maharashtra. But those who sacrificed their lands many families have no electricity till today. That was the reason why the SCOPE thought of raising funds for Solar Lanterns in these homes. http://www.deccanherald.com/images/editor_images1/2011/01/06/koyna-dam.jpg
The Needs of the night
1. The children cannot study in the night.
2. To give fodder for the domestic animals, or even to see their well-being in the night.
3. In rainy season snakes and other poisonous creatures creep and crawl in the houses.
4. Often the farms which are irrigated in the night need to be paid attention. But due to nocturnal beasts
which prowl in the night for hunting the farmers cannot get out of the house.
5. Often the community cannot gather even when there is a dire need to come together in the night, especially
when there are deaths or some member is sick etc.
6. For natural call like toilet the people cannot come out without any danger to their lives.
The SCOPE had convened several meetings of all the villagers in several villagers. The people voiced their need of Electricity from the Electricity Board of Maharashtra.
The Practical difficulties for Electricity:
1. Geographical difficulties like high hills, forest areas. Such terrain creates difficulties in
carrying the Electrical poles and the cost increases.
2. The electricity user/customer has to pay a certain amount of deposit to the Electricity Board.
Those who have paid the deposits are the shopkeepers. According to them, the deposit is
very high which an ordinary family cannot pay.
3. There are subsidies government has allowed but the procedure is rather tedious. Hence, the
people have no patience to go through a long process. For this, they have to keep aside their
daily farm work which is a livelihood for them and go to the District place. The district place is
far and expensive. This means that the whole process is beyond their livelihood.
Considering all these difficulties a suggestion was brought forward from the SCOPE about a provision of SOLAR Lanterns.
A Discussion on Solar System:
In One of the meetings with the valley-dwellers, we suggested the Solar Lantern as one of the possible alternatives. The people wanted to know more about it and they also had a lot of questions. They specifically asked about t he capacity of the lantern during heavy rainfall. They were told that whatever light there is with that the lantern can be charged. But the beneficiaries also have to take care that they do not exhaust the capacity and use as and when required only. After having answered all that they wanted to know they agreed to buy the Solar Lanterns. The Solar Lanterns were purchased and distributed to them. Of course, they too contributed towards the lanterns.
The Use of the Solar Lanterns:
1. Their children who attend the day school need to study at home. Often they have to study in the light of the locally made Kerosene lamp or candle light. 2. The lanterns are used to go out of the house for various purposes like toilet in the night, for some household need to neighbourhood,
In the Satara back water area tribal families gave their land for hydro electric power to supply the electric power to the city and sugarcane farm those who have land more than 5 to 10 acre above land. Last 60 year this backwater family did not get proper compensations from government and there is no proper rehabilitation almost 10 villages including 500 hundred families.
They live in jungle areas without light. Since area is wildlife sanctuary there was attack by the wild animals in village family and snake bite for the family member. Children would like to study in night. Usually those houses which do not have lights there the children even kerosene lamps.
The solar lanterns are not
affordable to the tribal families because of their cost .Scope started fundraising to buy solar lanterns for these
families
There are still hundreds of families without light in their houses for years. We are looking donors and benefactors to fund Solar Lantern Project to light many more houses in darkness.
