Friday, May 30, 2008

[Uttaranchal.ws] Digest Number 1369

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RUDRAPRAYAG: Mechanic brings light to his village

Posted by: "Raju Gusain" rajugusain@yahoo.co.in   rajugusain

Thu May 29, 2008 8:58 pm (PDT)

MAIL TODAY
Friday, May 30, 2008

By Raju Gusain in Khor (Rudraprayag)
http://www.mailtoday.in/showstory.aspx?queryed=9&querypage=12&boxid=1536490&parentid=6704&eddate=May%2030%202008%2012:00AM

NO MOTORABLE road, primary health centre, government-
supplied electricity, post office or telephone! Khor
village in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, is like other
remote villages in the state. But the successful
experiment of producing electricity through awatermill
(gharat )by a retired Border Roads Organisations (BRO)
senior mechanic, Pushkar Singh Bhandari, make Khor
special. Bhandaris efforts have brought light in the
village where government electricity lines have not
reached so far. He has used his watermill in an
innovative way to light the houses of about 40
families for the past 12 years. Bhandari tapped water
near the village and took it to his watermill through
asmall canal by installing pipes. In 1996, Bhandari
set up awatermill in the village. On Diwali that year,
the villagers lit up their homes with the power supply
provided by Bhandari. The 60- year- old says: "Earlier
villagers used to travel 2km on foot to grind the
grains. After retiring from BRO, Iset up awatermill,
200 metres from my village. Iwas amazed to see that
the mill can grind 30 kg wheat per hour. This made me
believe that Icould generate electricity through my
watermill. I worked as a mechanic and also obtained
knowledge on electricity during my 28 years of
service." Bhandari spent money from his retirement
pension. He bought an alternator from Rishikesh and an
electric load control from Saharanpur. He designed
ahorizontal turbine with 24 blades to produce about
5kilowatt of electricity. He spent Rs 35,000, fixing
electric lines on wooden poles. Bacchi Ram Dhyani, an
80- year- old from the neighbouring Dangi village,
recalling the 1996 Diwali, said: "People from
neighbouring villages came to Khor. Many old people
saw electricity for the first time in their life." As
a token maintenance charge, Bhandari charges each
family Rs 50 per month. He provides electricity for
six hours —from 6pm to midnight and rest of the time
the watermill grinds foodgrains. During wedding
ceremonies, he charges Rs 300 to 500 for three nights,
for supplying electricity. Due to shortage of water
the electric supply remains suspended in summer for
three months. From April to June bright sunshine
prevails and the villagers use solar power instead.
Last year the Alternate Hydro Energy Centre conducted
tested the turbine made by Bhandari. The IIT team
recorded 4.73 kilowatt output. Bhandari is happy to
share his expertise with others. He has helped many
villagers in setting up watermills with micro hydro
centres at places such as Ghinthana, Jakhnayali,
Ghulteer, Raidi, Rodu Sirsoli, Matthyagoan, Bhiri,
Silgoat, Bioghat and Lamgoan. The government has
decided to install electricity poles in Khor. Power is
likely to reach here by 2009



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