60 tribal villages in Cuttack district to be solar powered by year-end | Bhubaneswar News – The Times of India

The move will improve the quality of life of tribal families by ensuring uninterrupted power supply for lighting, education, healthcare and livelihood activities

Cuttack: In a major push towards sustainable development, all remote tribal villages in Cuttack district will be solar powered by the year-end, said collector (Cuttack) Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde on Friday.The initiative aims to provide clean and reliable electricity to 60 tribal villages covering nearly 6,000 households, many of which are located in inaccessible, forested and hilly areas.Official sources said the move will improve the quality of life of tribal families by ensuring uninterrupted power supply for lighting, education, healthcare and livelihood activities. “Our goal is to ensure that no tribal household in remote areas remains deprived of electricity,” said Shinde, adding that a dedicated team has been formed to look after all the work. Work has already started, he said.The project is being implemented in coordination with renewable energy agencies and the district administration. Solar panels will be installed in individual households along with battery backup systems to ensure power availability during non-sunny hours, he said.In some clusters, community-based solar micro-grids are also being planned to power common facilities such as anganwadi centres, schools and drinking water supply systems.Official sources said electrification through conventional grid connectivity was challenging in several villages due to difficult terrain and sparse population. Solar energy was therefore identified as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. “Apart from providing basic lighting, we are focusing on enabling economic activities. Access to electricity will support small enterprises, improve digital connectivity and create better educational opportunities for children in these villages,” said Shinde.The district administration has already completed surveys and groundwork in the identified villages. Installation work is expected to gather pace in the coming months to meet the year-end deadline.Welcoming the move, Sudam Tudu, a resident of Badamba area said reliable power supply will bring long-awaited development to their doorsteps.