Remote Tamil Nadu village gets solar lights on Independence Day

Seventy-five households in a remote, hilly village in picturesque Yercaud in Tamil Nadu got “freedom from darkness” on Monday as the country celebrated its 75 years of independence. The households got lights for the first time after an NGO installed solar panels over their houses as part of an initiative to light up houses in remote areas. 

The houses located in Kommankadu and Pattipadi Velore tribal villages near Yercaud got “powered” on Monday, something will help children study in the night without any hindrance and allow the residents to carry on with their chores after it gets dark. 

The initiative launched by Karmodaya in partnership with Bengaluru-based The Good Quest Foundation has so far provided solar lights to 750 tribal households in Jharkhand, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, and Tamil Nadu as part of its 'Light the Nation' programme. As many as 250 houses were provided with solar lights in the past one month in Tamil Nadu alone.

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Volunteers of the NGO climbed up the hills and trekked into difficult terrain to reach the tribal village. “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to see the households which have never seen light before to experience lights for the first time,” Sheba Raj, Coordinator – Tamil Nadu, Good Quest Foundation, said. 

Dharmalingam, a resident of Kommankadu village, said their happiness knew no bounds when solar lights were installed inside their huts. “We could not have asked for more on Independence Day. Our huts getting lit with solar lights is a freedom unto us from darkness. Now, our children can study  and women and men can attend to house chores after sun sets,” he said. 

Another villager said they were tired of petitioning government officers in the area seeking electricity connection to their hamlet. “Our children suffer a lot after it gets dark. They could never study at night but now they can. We are thankful that we got solar lights. But the government should have given us electricity long back,” he said.