MANY REMOTE villages in North East India are affected by irregular electricity supply. Desiring to make a difference, Schneider Electric India Foundation, through its CSR programme, is reaching out to some of these areas by supporting the community through Green Energy Solutions like Portable Solar Lamps. In association with Sunbird Trust, a North East India based NGO working with the objective of “Peace through Education”, hundreds of these lamps are being distributed to over a thousand households acrossvarious remote hilly villages of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.
First phase
In the first phase of the solar lamp distribution during December 2022, Sunbird Trust distributed 250 Portable Solarsolar lamps benefitting over 1,200 personsfrom under resourced households in the villages of Kamjong, Tamenglong and Senapati districts of Manipur. The communities covered under this phase included those in the villages of Chadongin Kamjong District, Aben in Tamenglong District, and Oinam Laila in Senapati District. Widows at Tumuyon Khullen and needy staff of various schools were amongst those who were benefitted.
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Second phase
The second phase of distribution, scheduled from March 18 till the end of the month will see 950 solar lamps distributed an additional 12 villages. Over 5,000 individuals can expect a better quality of life through receiving these solar lamps. These will include residents of Muirei in Ukhrul District, Sinam Komin Kangpokpi District, Waphong in Senapati District, Pungmon, Ijeirong, Bakwa, Puichi, Haochong, Kabui khullen (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3) and Khundong in Noney District in Manipur.
Besides villages in Manipur, Schneider Electric India Foundation is reaching out to communities bereft of any electricity supply in extremely remote villages near the Sino-India border in Shi Yomi District of Arunachal Pradesh. Here, at Papikrung village, Sunbird Trust at the request of the Government of Arunachal Pradesh is helping run a Government Residential School Village.Now, 100 households in tiny Chengo, Soyorgang, and Yorkodum Villages around Papikrung village will also benefit from the portable solar lamp distribution.
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These portable solar lamps distributed under the project are known for their durability, high luminosity and supplying up to 36 hours of light with a single charging. The lamps are charged with the help of a small solar plate that comes with the kit. An additional feature of this kit is that it can charge mobile telephones. Some beneficiaries who have received the lamps describe them as “game changers” that are not only literally lighting up their lives and helping children study better but also, in the after dark hours, facilitating women weaving and knitting for their livelihoods.
Col Christopher Rego (Retd.), founder and CEO of Sunbird Trust mentioned that many parts of North East India were literally “out of sight and out of mind” and expressed his gratitude to Schneider Electric India Foundation for their outreach to this part of the country. If at all the lamps could be transported to so many far flunglocations, he credited and complimented the Army and Assam Rifles for their immense logistical support.
(Source: Sunbird Trust)
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