Bijli Box lighting up rural villages

When it’s hot, we switch on the air conditioners and fans on full blast. When it’s cold, we tuck inside our blankets and switch on the heaters and sleep under the dark glow of the television. And when our power gets disconnected, even for an hour or two, we complain and crib. Now, imagine a village in India where conventional power lines are yet to reach!

A renewable energy company, OMC Power, is doing something to brighten their lives. The company has already supplied to around 3000 houses in remote areas of Hardoi district in Uttar Pradesh. The company delivers solar charged batteries to home, weighing around 2 kgs and holds an electronic circuit and accompanying software. ‘Bijli Box’ can power a couple of bulbs, fan and a specially made television set; charging only Rs.120 per month for the same. One charge is enough for 12 hours and every evening at 6 pm, specially appointed employees collect these boxes from the generating unit and deliver them to their subscribers in nearby villages on diesel vehicles. The company plans to set up 500 units of 18 KW each over the next couple of years, to produce power for about 1.5 million households!

No more yellow lights. No higher costs. And the company has employed several youngsters from the village to replace the spent boxes with charged ones at day break. By the end of the year, OMC hopes to light up another 27,000 households.  Humanity still exists in the corporate world and this cost-effective power could be the next revolution in rural India.