Tribal communities to be empowered by solar power in Rajasthan
Dungarpur in Rajasthan is the new address of renewable energy in Rajasthan. One of the top engineering institutes in India, IIT Bombay is making the solar panel installation dream true, for the tribal communities in Dungarpur. The best engineering brains in India have extended support to set up a solar module manufacturing plant in the Rajasthan district. This solar panel installation will be a proprietary of the tribal communities. It is also reported that the local tribal communities have been entrusted with the responsibility to operate the manufacturing unit. IIT Bombay will only help in the implementation of this first-of- its-kind solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing plant, taking renewable energy Rajasthan to the next level. IIT Bombay will provide hand-holding support to the community till they become fully capable of technical and business operations. A corpus amount exceeding Rs 24 lakhs was collected for set-up of the manufacturing plant by the tribal women, according to an official release.​ It is also important to note the recent contribution of IIT Bombay in empowering solar panel installation in India. The Institute has not just contributed to ​solar power in Rajasthan,​ but has also provided solar lamps to school students across India. It is reported to have installed over 10 lakh lamps, and is on its way, to make the solar panel installation a reality in India. The institute is also running a Department of Energy Science and Engineering and established a National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education. It is now a top priority of the institute to sustain solar panel installation in rural region of India.
And, IIT Bombay is not the only one to boost the landscape of renewal energy Rajasthan. It was earlier in 2015, when IIT Madras made a significant impact in empowering solar power in Rajasthan. At that time, the institute had taken the initiative to enable 50 villages in Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, live the solar dream. Under this project, around 4000 solar systems for home were installed. There are many ​solar companies in Rajasthan​ which are delivering to make India’s dream a reality now. Rural electrification is a priority agenda for the present government. In addition, solar panel for home is now a more affordable option for Rajasthanis. The state government is making close efforts to meet its target of 2300 MW in renewable energy in Rajasthan. The state government is also doing its bit to save the environment. Solar panel in home not only cost less, but is also a clear source of clean energy. There are simple benefits of improvement in living standards of common people. There is less risk of polluting the environment, as no coal burning is involved in running solar panels in home. A solar system for home is no longer a distant reality, and its associated benefits, makes it a very viable solution for villages to have access to cheap electricity.