A power cut, in today’s world of technology, virtually brings life to a standstill. In India’s villages though, poor supply of electricity is not a new phenomenon. Shocking as it may sound, there are people in the country who have never ever seen an electric bulb or television. Besides these aspects that many would assume as a luxury in some parts of rural India, lack of power also makes running of agricultural equipment difficult and hits farming and produce.
While the power supply deficit in rural parts of the country forces us back in time, there are also stories of several villages that were recently electrified under the government’s Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana and the impact was amazing.
India TV brings to you five such inspirational stories on the occasion of Independence Day:
Damdama Village (Jamui district, Bihar)
Before access to electricity, the residents of this village had always been using kerosene for cooking and lighting purposes. But after electrification and with the help uninterrupted power supply, residents have added a new chapter in their life. Children here now don’t study under kerosene lamplight and can utilise a full 24 hours a day to complete their tasks. Locals have also managed to run their businesses smoothly and also succeeded in creating and providing jobs to others.
Bandarjan Grant Village (Sivasagar district, Assam)
Residents here were facing several problems because this village did not have electricity since Independence. At nights, locals say that wild animals used to enter their land damaging their paddy. Now they say that with the help of proper electricity, they can keep an eye on their field during night. Locals also says that their lifestyle has transformed drastically with the arrival of electricity.
Nuaon village (Buxar district, Bihar)
Residents say that ladies, senior citizens and children were facing ill-effects of heat waves during summer. But when this village was electrified, locals managed to find solutions to many problems they were facing in their day-to-day lives. Poorly-lit parts of the village were a threat to safety at night. However, all this has changed with access to electricity in the village.
Interestingly, after the village was electrified, flour mills become operational and providing others the opportunity to earn their livelihood.
Pedapadmapuram habitation (Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh)
Villagers were overjoyed when power reached their village. With electrification, locals say that children now study during night time and women cook food easily. They also have streetlights for safer roads at nights.
Chepana NC Village (Baksa district, Assam)
This village was established in 1970 and has had no electricity since then. Lack of electricity had varied effects on lives of the people here. From adversely affecting education of children, to low agricultural productivity, people were facing a series of problems that drew the attention of the government. After the village got access to electricity, the villagers feel they can achieve anything. They said that their life’s conveniences have increased manifold.
