Harnessing solar & wind energy, Bhandara village bags Centre’s climate action award

Nagpur: At Khairi Walmazari, a village of 2,400 population bordering Nagzira tiger sanctuary, majority of homes supply solar power to the MSEDCL grid. A wind energy unit lights up the temple and also the crematorium, and water from a brook generates hydel energy. The village, over 120km away from Nagpur, which often has wild animals visiting farms, has bagged Centre's climate action special panchayat award, ranking second in the country.The village today generates more than 400kilowatt of renewable energy. This is a mix of hydel, wind energy and solar power. As many as 632 families have solar connections. Other facilities like public premises, farms, and common roads are lit by solar power, says a note shared by the district administration. Over 600 families have rainwater harvesting facilities too, the press note states."It all began with the village winning Sant Gadge Baba sanitation competition at the state level. Later, we decided to take it further," says Purshottam Rukhmode, the sarpanch. With over 3 lakh trees of indigenous species, the village entirely negates the impact of carbon emission. These include a number of fruit-bearing trees, he says.Rukhmode lists the wind energy plant as one of the biggest achievements. "We are able to generate enough power through wind energy to light up the temple and crematorium premises. Most homes are linked with the grid. This means they directly supply power to MSEDCL. Rest of the homes too have solar-lit lamps and other equipment," he says. Rukhmode says proximity to the Nagzira forest brings denser green cover to the village. However, they also expect the govt to fence the area, preventing wild animals from entering the farms.TNN