VILLAGE IN GULMI DISTRCT LIT UP BY SOLAR ENERGY WITH INDIAN ASSISTANCE OF NRS.26.5 MILLION

500 homes in Bharse Village, in all the wards, in District Gulmi have today started receiving electricity from systems using solar electrification, using this most modern and environmentally clean source of electricity. The project, costing Rs. 26.5 million, involves the provision of a solar panel, a maintenance free battery and a home lighting system of 75 watts. Approximately 4000 people in the village will receive quality electricity from this programme.

As of now, 10 solar electrification projects have been carried out successfully in various districts which have so far never received the benefit of electric power. The total cost of these projects is Rs. 160.7 million.

All these projects were executed by the Central Electronics Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking of the Indian Government, in partnership with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), under the Ministry of Science & Technology of HMGN.

As is the case with virtually all projects in development cooperation between India and Nepal, these electrification projects also involve the community in all the stages of planning, implementation and maintenance. A pool of 6 to 8 villagers are trained by a technician from the Central Electronics Limited and the community itself provides contributions to create a fund, which is invested in local banks, with the interest being used for maintenance.

The project was formally inaugurated and handed over by Shri V.P. Haran, Deputy Chief of Mission to the Gaon Upbhokta Samiti at Village Bharse, District on November 10, 2005. Senior local officials of His Majesty’s Government of Nepal and community leaders were present on this occasion.

India’s development cooperation projects with Nepal focus on three key sectors, which are Education, Health and Infrastructure.