The Integrated Rural Development of Weaker Sections in India (IRDWSI/WIDA) – a local agency – provided the support services for planning, conducting detailed engineering, supervising the execution and commissioning of the project, and for mobilizing and training local residents to execute the project. The project was commissioned in 1999 after two years of intensive interaction with the community.
At present though the capacity of the power plant is 10 kW, it can be expanded up to 25 kW. At present, the system is designed to supply electricity to around 80 households to meet their household electrical demand for lighting, to power television sets and tape recorder, etc. In addition to domestic load, there is a battery charging station and a grinder/milling machine in the village. Such facilities benefit the people in and around the village. The village community centre has a computer and a television set.
Electricity is supplied for nine hours every per day (seven hours for
domestic load and two hours for the mill). However, during marriages, in cases of serious illness, or on other occasions, power is supplied as
per requirement.
The project had the active support and involvement of the village community in its planning and implementation. The community contributed around Rs 200 000 in the form of labour towards the establishment of the project. The project has been running smoothly from its inception. The Putsil Micro Hydro Committee comprises 21 members (including six women), who manage the power generation and distribution system. Each of the 80 families in the village is a consumer. The consumers are divided into six groups and each group is assigned specific tasks such as repair, catchment area management, and the like. Each consumer pays Rs 20 per month, and a community fund of Rs 90 000 has already been created.
The power project enhances the income generating activities in this region. It has created direct employment for 4 persons (two for operating the mill and two for the power plant) and each of them earns Rs. 4000/annum. Similarly each household earn around Rs. 3000/annum as leisure time income by facilitating the activities such as broom making, Shikakai powder processing, tamarind processing etc.
Micro Hydro project in Putsil can be considered as one of the best examples of sustainable electrification project using renewable energy sources. Along with power generation, it has made the community realize the power with collective dream and determination.
* WIDA is an Orissa based NGO stands for Integrated Rural Development of Weaker – Sections in India