For decades, a group of remote villages in Gurez tehsil of Jammu and Kashmir lived with the monotonous drone of generators. These villages are on the banks of the Kishanganga river, on which the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is constructing the 330-MW hydroelectric project, but for electricity, they had to turn to their diesel-guzzling generators. That has finally changed.

In one of the most ambitious ventures, funded by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, over 3,900 households in 27 villages in Gurez tehsil were lit up by solar electricity last month.

“The ministry has also inked a five-year annual maintenance contract with the suppliers of the solar systems to ensure that the residents are able to get their solar systems repaired and serviced. We are also training some residents so that they can carry out minor maintenance work,” said a senior ministry official.

The solar lights come with a photovoltaic module that converts solar radiation to electricity that is used to charge the battery. Once fully charged, the battery can light up two lamps.

Part of the ministry’s Remote Village Electrification Programme, the move to install solar systems in the villages was taken after feasibility studies found that it would take years for the villages to get power from regular sources such as hydro or thermal. The programme is aimed at providing renewable energy-based lighting and electricity solutions to all villages in the country where there is no electric grid.

Sources in the ministry say Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah has already secured the Cabinet’s approval for a similar project in 68 villages in Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Pulwama and Shopian districts of the state.

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