2 min readNov 17, 2013 05:43 AM IST
First published on: Nov 17, 2013 at 05:43 AM IST
For villagers of Zatepada,a tribal hamlet in Thane district,an uninterrupted electric supply might still be a distant dream. But for now at least their evenings are well lit.
The 90-odd houses here,which had been living in darkness,now have a solar lantern each.
The initiative,“Light for Life”,started by an IT consultant Kashyap Desai,has managed to light over 1,065 houses in the state.
So far,“Light for Life” has managed to reach out to five states — Maharashtra,Gujarat,Uttarakhand,Rajasthan and the Northeast.
“While solar energy is the most sustainable option available,at present,tapping it is an expensive affair. Most industries and private buildings today have solar plants. But this is also because they have the resources. But what about the ones who do not have these resources,” says Desai.
A few kilometres away from Mumbai,there are hundreds of villages still plunged in darkness. “Here,any source of light becomes the greatest gift. Every house here relies on kerosene lamps. But for some,even that is unaffordable,” Desai says.
Also,at the time when the world is facing a scarcity of natural resources,Light for Life wanted to ensure it reached out to people with out harming nature any further,Desai says.
The work that started just a few months ago has now has the support from a number of small NGOs,bikers’ groups,nature lovers and even college students
For instance,in Vikramgad,nearly 100 lanterns were distributed through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. “Similar programmes are arranged for another tribal village,Wankaspada of Dahanu Taluka in Thane district,” said Amit Sathe from the ashram.
A small portable lantern that can last for a good 24 hours comes with a six-inch panel,which has to be mounted on the roof top.
sukanya.shetty@expressindia.com
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