Rotary Club of Bombay’s 40th village project brings solar power, clean water, and sustainable growth, impacting over 13,000 lives

The transformation extends to education, where 40 primary school children, including 22 girls, will benefit from smart TVs and a comfortable learning environment powered by sustainable energy. Additionally, 52 children at the village anganwadi, including 28 girls, will have access to enhanced foundational learning facilities.

Pratibha Pai, founder of Chirag Rural Development Foundation, puts the achievement in perspective: “With the intervention at Chandragav, our 40 villages would mean 13088 lives transformed. 35 educational facilities, including primary schools and Anganwadis, were solarised and made ready for engaged learning. 360 acres of land brought under continuous irrigation, 140 solar street lights installed, 50,000 litres of safe drinking water provided at a household level and all this powered by 229KW of clean solar energy.” 

The project, supported by Indian Oxides and Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. and the Narayan family, commemorates the birth centenary of Seetha Narayan. RCB plans to inaugurate another integrated village development project on February 16 in Bhoyepada, Wanipada, and Gavthan, supported by Sumitomo Chemical India Ltd.

The transformation extends to education, where 40 primary school children, including 22 girls, will benefit from smart TVs and a comfortable learning environment powered by sustainable energy.

Empowering communities: Skills, safety, and long-term impact

The initiative also includes farmer training programs on yield optimisation, with some beneficiaries receiving seeds and fruit-bearing saplings. “This is truly a case study in sustainability aligned with rural community welfare,” Pai adds, highlighting the project’s holistic approach to development.

As night falls in Chandragav, 23 solar-powered street lights will illuminate the village paths, addressing a critical safety concern — the risk of snake and scorpion bites that previously plagued residents. This simple yet effective solution exemplifies the project’s attention to everyday challenges faced by rural communities.