Solar-driven water scheme inaugurated in U'khand

, Mar 7:

Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar today unveiled a

-driven drinking water scheme in Tehri district and described it as the first of its kind project in the hill state to provide safe potable water to rural Himalayan villages using solar energy.

The scheme is directly benefiting and serving 40 households in Churendhar village of Tehri district.

Implemented with the water up after filtration to a vertical height of 186 meters, the scheme covers a distance of 70 meters using solar energy. The offline solar grids have been established in the village, which provide maximum 3,750 watts of energy to pump the water at such a height.

The Chief Secretary said use of renewable and clean energy to deal with the problem of inadequate availability of safe drinking water in high altitude rural areas has set an example for others to follow.

"It will not only motivate other villagers and civil society organisations to implement such a scheme, but is a major step towards finding a sustainable solution to paucity of safe drinking water in rural areas of Uttarakhand hills," he said.

Villagers present at the inauguration ceremony said the scheme has solved their problem of drinking water.

"Now our womenfolk will not have to walk for kilometers to fetch water and incidents of water borne diseases will also decrease, especially among children," said one of the villagers.

PTI