Pushpa Rathod’s six decades of living in Jharkhand’s Gumla district are well bifurcated into a ‘before’ and ‘after’. The boundary is drawn by the Sun.

She recalls 2015 as the inflection point; that year, two friends, Sameer Nair and Anshuman Lath, entered the district, with hope colouring their plans. Through their brainchild, ‘Gram Oorja’, a collective championing energy access through grassroots-level projects, the duo — they were soon joined by the third co-founder Prasad Kulkarni — was keen to electrify Gumla by harnessing the Sun’s power.

In years, this concept would be christened the ‘solar microgrid’.

Over the next three years, the communities of Gumla watched a simple idea calcify into an impact that touched 21 villages; for the first time in their lives, 800 households experienced uninterrupted power supply. But, setup counts weren’t the only yardsticks of success; the real accomplishment was the shift in the womenfolk’s routines.

Solar power breathed a sense of ease into their day. They could now visit their neighbours after dark. Overnight, the streets shed their foreboding avatars, now illuminated by solar-powered street lights. It gave them a semblance of liberty.

Energy poverty often perpetuates outdated power dynamics — literally and metaphorically. And the success story of Jharkhand’s electrification holds a mirror up to this. In 2019, when the district tasted a 24/7 power supply — through the collaborative efforts of Gram Oorja and NGO PRADAN — it did more than enable. It empowered.

When the villagers take charge of the grid

Having access to an unbroken flow of electricity meant the women could breeze through their chores. No longer relegated to the home, they optimised the extra time to participate in the Village Energy Committee (VEC), where they got to be at the helm of decisions that would become the bedrock for village development — from calling the shots on energy tariffs to assigning the operational logistics to an elected local operator.

They take these meetings seriously. As Suchita Ba, who heads them in her village in Kudpani Girijatoli, Simdega, Jharkhand, explains, “During these meetings, we collect the monthly tariff of Rs 100 from each family. Initially, every family pooled in Rs 2,000. The money is a backup; if the microgrids need maintenance, we can pay for it ourselves.”

Suchita is a busy person.

The arrival of ‘light’ in her village gave her a lot to do, such as making decisions on how it’s used. “We did not have electricity for years. And then one day, we did. Now our lives look very different. My children can study. It gave us access to so many more facilities.”

But freedom came with responsibility. “When we put our own money, we feel responsible for the microgrids. Another reason why we do this is to ensure that the grids help our children, too. We want them to also benefit from solar. We are saving for our future.”

Backed by Gram Oorja, the people of the Gumla are turning into custodians of their land.

Explaining the reason behind the success of the model, Sameer, one of the founders of Gram Oorja, says it’s hinged on two key players — CSR grants (which help with capital costs) and tariffs, which cover the maintenance costs. The latter is as crucial as the former because they allow for a judicious use of the resources. This is important, he explains, as when the locals witness continuous power supply for the first time, there’s a tendency to view it as a rare indulgence. Tariffs ensure prudent use.

Making them a part of the process ensures that the model goes beyond a fleeting inclusion and instead sustains itself in the long run. Over the life cycle of the project, the village bears around 60 percent of the overall cost.

© The Better India