RAIPUR: In a breakthrough for grassroots connectivity in South Bastar, the remotest hilltop tribal hamlet of Lawa, located in the Kuakonda block of Dantewada district, witnessed its first-ever television broadcast.
Facilitated through a joint initiative by the Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) and the Dantewada district administration, a solar-powered community television has been installed in the village.
Home to just 21 tribal families, the installation represents a significant milestone for residents who had never before experienced a television screen in their settlement. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai welcomed the development, noting that delivering modern technology, education, and development to the state’s outermost settlements reflects the administration’s core priority to move past decades of isolation.
Tucked behind the rugged hills of Bailadila and dense forests roughly 8 km from the Kirandul iron-ore mining zone (operated by NMDC), Lawa has historically faced intense geographic seclusion. With no paved roads, villagers routinely trek miles over rocky, elevated tracks just to fetch rations from the nearest Public Distribution System (PDS) outlet.
For decades, the surrounding Purengal region served as a stronghold for Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), keeping government representatives and basic public amenities entirely out of reach.
Sustained security operations have since restored stability, allowing district collector and public officials to visit the hamlet, hold village meetings, and deliver welfare programs directly to residents' doorsteps.
Because Lawa remains beyond the reach of the conventional electrical grid, the community television runs completely off-grid on self-sustaining solar power. The initiative introduces several transformative benefits to the isolated settlement.
Villagers can now stay informed about state, national, and international developments, as well as upcoming government schemes, modern farming practices, and healthcare programmes.
Local children gain direct access to instructive, informational, and general-knowledge programming, creating a visual learning environment previously unavailable in the hamlet.
The central TV setup offers a shared communal space where all 21 families can gather after working in the fields and gathering forest produce.
The solar-battery configuration ensures clean, eco-friendly operation free from power cuts or reliance on external grid infrastructure.