IMPHAL, February 5: A young entrepreneur from Khonghampat Mantri Leikai, has set out to light every villages in Manipur launching his ambitious project to “create 100 solar villages in Manipur 2016-17’ at a very affordable price.
Affordable would be an understatement as this young entrepreneur is giving away a set of home solar lighting system for a single household in instalment basis only at Rs 18 per day for 24 months.
Surjit Ningthoujam, an MBA, founded ‘Mangaal Rural’ under the banner fight against energy poverty in the year 2011 with an aim to make modern product and services affordable to the rural populations.
Since the inception of his group around 5000 houses in Manipur has been provided with solar lighting system at instalment basis but not so affordable when compared to his next project, he claimed.
Launching the first phase of the project solar village, 100 families of Chairel village, Thoubal district were provided with the facilities today under easy instalment, as he put it, in the presence of local body leaders.
In addition to that, the young entrepreneur also donated 10 solar street lights costing 1.7 laks for the village.
Attending the distribution ceremony were, Naorem Uttam (Editor Image TV), Laishram Kanhai-social activist, Simon Hrangchal-secretary EAC, Upa Pradhan of the area and crew of the Mangaal Rural.
Giving his reason for choosing Chairel village for the launch of his project solar village, Surjit disclosed that some household of this particular village are deprived of power supply.
He revealed that his team had surveyed handful of villages for the launch of his project and initially chose Ithing village.
However, at the eleventh hour the plan was changed for he and his team were moved by what they saw at Chairel village. He disclosed at Chairel they witnessed children gathering around a lantern for their studies in few household.
It became prominent in my mind that Chairel is the right place for the launch for the fact that this village had also seen enough hardship by constant flood besides above all.
Under the project servicing, transportation, electrical fitting and maintenance will be provided free of cost to every customer, claimed Surjit.
“The power supply here is very irregular and we cannot rely on it. I am excited what this new ‘thing’ has to offer us”, grinned Sakhi Devi.
The solar home lighting system distributed today has the capacity to light four rooms easily besides having mobile charging facility.
The second phase of the distribution would take place at Ithing village.