Asom carves niche in rural electrification with solar energy

Mangaldai, May 04: Asom has emerged as the first state in the country to implement the Remote Village Electrification Programme of the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) despite its struggle to cope with power shortage.

The Asom State Electricity Board (ASEB) has identified 2139 remote villages, not accessible from the existing conventional grid due to various topographical constraints, of which 1084 are located in the plains and the remaining in hilly areas.

The ASEB had set in motion plans to provide solar or biomass energy to these villages depending upon the technical option after conducting resource study by experts through outsourcing.

In the hilly areas, priority has been accorded to the small hydro projects.

To provide 100 per cent electricity to these villages by 2009 and all households by 2012 as mandated by the Centre, the state power department has been declared as the nodal agency, while the ASEB, Asom Energy Development Agency (AEDA) and the forest department would be the implementing agencies.

State Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi yesterday launched the Remote Village Electrification Scheme at Hillaikhunda village in Mangaldai of Darrang district in central Asom.

In the first phase of the scheme, 500 households of 11 revenue villages in the Puthimari Panchayat of Mangaldai were given solar system units, each comprising a solar plate, two CFL bulbs and a battery.

The sets with five-year guarantee have been made available at a subsidised rate of Rs 3600, as against the actual cost of Rs 12000.

''An appropriate comprehensive maintenance contract of five years is proposed to be introduced as per MNRE guidelines for securing proper and sustained energy supply services. The warranty and after-sales obligations are to be strictly enforced,'' Mr Bordoloi said after launching the scheme. An ASEB official said Central Financial Grants up to 90 per cent of the benchmark cost of the electricity generation systems would be provided by the MNRE as grants-in-aid for electrification of remote census villages.

He added that the balance cost of the project would be borne by the beneficiaries and the state government.

The ASEB had submitted proposals to the MNRE for electrification of 157 remote villages in the state so far through Solar Photovoltaic Home Lighting System and all had been sanctioned.

The implementation work had already started and electrification of ten villages was ready for operation.

The MNRE had also sanctioned 305 villages to the AEDA and preliminary works for the implementation of the project were already in progress, official sources said.

Mr Bordoloi said the power department had formulated the Power Sector Reforms and Restructuring Policy, 2003, to encourage private participation in the non-conventional energy sector for setting up of small hydro-electric projects in the state up to 25 MW and supply electricity in a bankable and commercially viable manner.

''A policy for the development of small hydro-power plants in the state has been formulated for implementation by participation of independent power producers or user societies with certain incentives and also financial and fiscal encouragement from the MNRE,'' the minister informed.

The ASEB had identified 88 such small power potential sites of total capacities aggregating to 150 MW to be covered by this policy.

UNI