Imphal, November 24 2010: Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) has started installation of solar lighting system in villages in valley areas too after its work in the remote villages in the hill areas.

However, robbery of solar plates and batteries marred the initiation.

The installation work of the solar street lamps was taken up under the Remote Village Electrification Programme which MANIREDA has already taken up in the remote villages in the hill areas.

With the programme being further extended, the electrification of villages in valley areas was recently started by MANIREDA through gram panchayats, nagar gram panchayats and municipal councils with funds allocated to these local bodies by the Manipur government.

So, far, a total of 5736 solar street lighting sets have been supplied to the local bodies.

Out of this 3187 were to 165 gram panchayats and 2549 to 27 to urban local bodies, said an official source disclosing that the installation works are in progress.

Unfortunately, the solar lighting sets in some places have been robbed by unknown persons in the initial stages of the installation on the village roads and streets, they said, pointing out that solar plates and batteries at Mayang Imphal, Irengbam Oinam, Naoriya Pakhanglakba, Patsoi, Lamshang and Kwakeithel areas were found missing recently.

Some of the sets missing from the installation sides were reportedly used by individuals in lighting their houses.

Apart from this, there were complaints of non-functioning of the street lamps after some days of their installation.

Police registered cases regarding the missing of the solar plates and lamps but so far there were no reports of any arrests.Regarding the lighting of streets with solar lighting system, MANIREDA director, Manglem, in an interaction with Hueiyen Lanpao, said the objective of implementing the solar street lighting programme was to relieve the villages from darkness arising from short supply of electricity.

Manireda director said he programme is being taken up under the Village Electrification Programme of the Union Ministry of Renewable Energy.

Under the programme MANIREDA is taken up work for installation of solar lighting systems in remote hill areas as well as in the valley area where there is no power supply.

In the villages in valley districts, MANIREDA has taken up the installation work through gram panchayats and urban local bodies like the nagar panchayats and municipal councils.

A total of Rs 27,500 has been incurred so far by MANIREDA in taking the up the work.

Installation at most of the selected villages have been completed.

Terming that the stealing of solar plates and batteries of the lighting sets as unfortunate, he cautioned that if such acts continue, the implementation of the programme may be suspended.

He also revealed that under the programme, a total of 2187 lighting systems are to be installed across the four valley districts with the break up as Imphal east (921), Imphal west (625), Bishnupur (650) and Thoubal (991) .

Comment