Merwyn Coutinho and Rajiv Rathod, two friends, and fellow trekkers, had no idea that their impetuous walk to Gandhigram, a rural village in Arunachal Pradesh, would start off a chain reaction that would lead to 282 dwellings in 30 communities receiving light in their homes. Gandhigram, located in the beautiful woods of the Eastern Himalayas and completely cut off from the outside world, has no power. Thanks to The Batti Project, which Merwyn and Rajiv conceptualised, most homes now have solar panels, providing them with a sustainable and clean energy source without adversely affecting the local ecology.
Lighting up lives
During their exploration of Gandhigram Village in Arunachal Pradesh, Merwyn Coutinho, and Rajiv Rathod came across a significant obstacle. They watched as the sun sank and the village fell into darkness without any electricity. They set out on a unique quest to improve the lives of the villagers by using their creative “Batti kits” because they were driven to make a difference.
Coutinho and Rathod started the “Batti project” with the goal of illuminating the peasants’ life. The “Batti kit,” a robust kit that includes a solar panel, an LED battery, LED tubes, holders, switches, wiring, and a charge controller, was the centerpiece of their campaign. This game-changing technology would completely alter how homes use illumination after dark.
Batti is a project to offer basic lights to those who live in the most remote areas of North East India. Batti, a company founded to support the current landscape of lighting technologies, aims for change that is sustainable. It accomplishes this by using renewable energy sources and bringing together individuals in need and those ready to provide a hand.
Tribal life in North East India’s hinterlands is closely linked to light. Activity stops when it is absent. The ‘choukha’ or ‘fireplace’ light is the sole solace from the overwhelming blackness as evening descends. While providing some relief, it also has limitations. The small area around the campfire is then the only place where people may move. It’s possible that these towns will never receive power from the traditional grid. This is an extremely remote option because of the violently fluctuating landforms, the huge distances from the closest grid source, and the sparsely populated areas. It should go without saying that they have a very genuine need for artificial light.
The Idu Mishmi tribe’s 282 dwellings in 30 communities now all have solar-powered home lighting systems thanks to Batti.
The Lower Dibang Valley and Arunachal Pradesh’s Eastern Himalayas make up the Idu Mishmi’s native range. It also has the distinction of being one of the 10 districts with the most minuscule population in India. With its initial installation in the Digaro Mishmi town of Tumna, Batti expanded its reach even further east this year, into the region of Anjaw. The Batti crew has worked over a substantial portion of the valley, some of which can only be reached on foot, to install equipment and teach locals how to maintain their Batti kits. The Batti Project has currently benefitted more than 1500 individuals.
Also read CIIE.CO to accelerate 100 AgriStartups of North East India
