Thenhi becomes first solar village in Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari, residents rejoice over benefits
Raipur, Aug 7
PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana, one of the flagship public welfare schemes of the Central government, is providing significant relief to thousands of people by slashing their electricity bills and also enabling them to develop it as a 'supplementary source' of income.
Chhattisgarh's Thenhi village has earned a rare distinction of becoming the first solar village in Dhamtari district, benefitting thousands of residents.
A collective solar power plant was installed in the village for catering to 71 families in Thenhi village. Registrations were completed for 71 families, with each opting for a 2-kilowatt capacity solar panel. Subsequently, a collective solar plant with a total capacity of 142 kilowatts was set up.
A piece of land located about 50-75 meters away from the village was picked for the installation of the plant. No money was charged to any villager for the initiative, and all the households are now connected to this solar grid.
The villagers are delighted and overjoyed with the development, with many hoping for an uninterrupted supply of electricity throughout the day and night.
Many of them said that the hassle of electricity bills is over now, as they are receiving clean and green energy 24x7.
Village Sarpanch Jyoti Som told IANS, "Solar panels have been installed in the Gram Panchayat under the 'PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana', providing us with free electricity. We are thankful to PM Modi for this."
A beneficiary named Sirdhan Som said, "Previously, the people of our village used to get high electricity bills. Now, thanks to the 142-kilowatt plant installed for 71 families under the 'PM Surya Ghar-Muft Bijli Yojana', all these families are receiving free electricity. I want to thank PM Modi for this."
Another beneficiary, Dinesh Yadav, said, "Earlier, I used to pay a huge sum on electricity expenses. Since the installation of the system under the 'PM Surya Ghar Yojana', we have been relieved of the burden of electricity bills. I thank PM Modi for this."
Dhamtari Collector Abinash Mishra said, "This is a village in Chhattisgarh where residents will not have to pay electricity bills. Electricity will be supplied to the village through solar energy."
Notably, the rooftop solar panel installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana have also picked up pace with official data suggesting a threefold rise in their installation in the past six months, as compared to earlier.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally, our villages are getting the attention they deserve! This is what we need - sustainable solutions that actually benefit the common people. Proud of this development, especially for a small village in Chhattisgarh. Now they can use the saved money for other needs. 👏
Good to see the PM Surya Ghar scheme reaching rural areas. But 2kW per family seems quite low for a household with multiple appliances. Would be nice to see higher capacity and proper maintenance support in the long run. Still, any relief from crazy electricity bills is welcome!
This is fantastic news! Free electricity means these families can now afford better lighting for their children's education, maybe a fan during hot summers, and even run small businesses. This is how rural India should progress. Thank you to everyone involved! 🌞
Impressive to see solar adoption in rural India. The collective model of installing a shared plant for the entire village seems efficient. Would love to see how this scales across the country and what challenges they face with maintenance during monsoon season.
Arre wah! This is what we call actual development. No more running behind bill payments, no more worrying about power cuts. The villagers must be so relieved. Hope other districts follow Thenhi's example soon. 🙌
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