A solar water pump to keep out fluoride, solar-powered weighing scales on highways and a village’s way out of darkness. There are just some of the success stories of the Non-conventional Energy Development Agency (NEDA) in the state. With the state grappling with a power crisis, alternative is the only way to go.

Solar fix-it for fluoride

Until recently, men, women and children in about half a dozen villages in Sonebhadra district faced skin and body abnormalities due to high fluoride content in the groundwater. No cases have been reported since December 2005, five months after photo-voltaic water pumps were installed for supplying suitable potable water to the villagers.

Located in the hilly terrain of the Vindhyachal range bordering Madhya Pradesh, Sonebhadra district is very rich in minerals. That, however, means the soil in certain interior villages of the district have higher fluoride content, which seeps into the groundwater.

“A few villages of the Chopan block that are at a good distance of about 80 km from Robertsganj (the administrative headquarters of the district) were the worst affected,” said LB Pandey, chief development officer of Sonebhadra. “Villagers suffer from deformities of limbs, yellowness of teeth, digestion problems etc.”

Pandey and regional officers of NEDA also realised that the fluoride problem would have to be solved while keeping in mind the power crisis. “We conducted a survey, along with the Jal Nigam, to find out a potential solution for drinking water. After initial tests, we found the water on the outskirts of the villages was suitable for usage. Laboratory tests further gave the confirmation to start the project,” said Rajiv Mishra, project officer, NEDA.

... contd.