Campaign for lighting villages with solar lanterns soon

New Delhi, Jan 10 (UNI) A solar lantern can dispel the darkness in the country's millions of rural homes which do not have access to electricity.

A beginning in this direction has been made by the Energy Resource Institute(TERI) in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative.

The initiative called 'Lighting a milion Lives'(LAML) to provide 'clean and green' lighting to villages outside the electricity grid will be launched at the 8th Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS) to be held here in February, TERI Director General Dr R K Pachauri said here today.

At first 10 villages will be taken up for lighting. TERI will sponsor the illumination of Rajasthan village 'Natwana' providing the solar lanterns to the villagers, a project that would offer opportunities for enterprise.

Dr Pachauri said the campaign would disseminate solar lanterns through an entrepreneur-driven delivery channel, and DSD participants had been invited to sponsor the projects.

He said the cost of the lantern would be around Rs 3000, and it would not need direct sunlight to be charged. Once charged it will work for four hours.

To ensure transparency, a committee comprising experts and representatives from the sponsors will monitor the campaign, Dr Pachauri said here while briefing mediapersons about the DSDS which is held anually by TERI to focus on key developmental issues impacting on global environment.

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