RANCHI: Women-run self-help groups (SHG) in Ranchi is helping build portable solar-powered lamps for the personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), India's premier agency for rescue missions at the time of natural and manmade disasters.
The lamp will help NDRF personnel at places where there is no facility of power.
According to officials, an MoU was signed with NDRF for supplying 40,000 lamps. As a part of this, a consignment of 4,000 lamps was handed over to NDRF.
“It is really a matter of pride for Ranchi as the solar lamps prepared by SHG women will be used by NDRF. The conditions in which the NDRF personnel work, it is essential that they must have the facility lights and these solar lamps will really be a great help for them,” said Ranchi Deputy Commissioner Chhavi Ranjan. He also congratulated the SHG women who are engaged in preparing these solar lamps.
“I also express my gratitude towards Indian Oil Corporation Limited that joined us in achieving our target and ensure women empowerment and safety of the nation as well,” said Ranjan.
During the time of a disaster, the NDRF personnel have to face a lot of problems due to lack of power supply and these solar lamps will help them in discharging their duties without any hurdles, he added.
According to Ranjan, the project was launched in 2018 as part of a skilling and livelihood mission wherein women self-help groups were trained to make LED solar lamps under the scheme ‘Ranchi ki Roshni’. A full-fledged workshop has been set up in Ormanjhi where these solar lamps are prepared by SHG women.
Interestingly, everything, right from soldering, assembling and packaging is done by over two dozen SHG women, engaged in the project.
“The project was started in 2018, where the SHG women were selected and trained in manufacturing these lamps by the district administration, out of which they are earning around Rs 8000-10000 every month. Besides salary, they are also paid incentives as per their output,” said Block Project Director Mukesh Sinha.
The project is being sustained through CSR funds of IOCL and HPCL, he added.
The concept was originally inspired by ‘Liter of Light’ conceptualized by My Shelter Foundation for providing the poor a cheap source of lighting. Recycled plastic bottles filled with water and a bit of bleach are fitted into the roof to provide lighting during the day.
It was found that though the innovation served well during the day, it was more important to have illumination in the house during night. Hence, a modified version, ‘Light of Liter 2.0’, was created by attaching a battery and a solar panel, making it suitable as portable room light for use at night by a group of IITians while pursuing internship with the district administration for providing a cheap source of lighting for the poor. Later, the project was named as ‘Ranchi ki Roshni.’