PALAKKAD: It took nearly 15 tribesmen to carry the inverter and batteries over a distance of 9km from the nearest motorable road through the wild, undulating forest. After a one-and-a-half-hour trek they reached Thazhe Thuduki, in Attappadi, where a 50kW microgrid -- 45kW powered by solar energy and 5kW by wind -- was being installed.
The plant required at least 100 tonnes of material to be transported and the wages of the tribal people who carried them worked out to Rs 25 lakh, out of the total project cost of Rs 1.43 crore.
“We are elated as the children of the tribal folk can now study under lights in their own houses. Moreover, the wages for transporting the material went to the Adivasis, including women. Concrete pillars were constructed, at a height of 7m, to set up the plant at Thazhe Thuduki. Trenches were dug around it to prevent wild elephants from damaging the equipment,” an Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (Anert) official said.
“We opted for 45kW of solar energy. The wind power unit ensures the long life of the battery. The battery could drain out at night and still run – thanks to the strong winds in the area. There are 43 families living in the Thazhe Thuduki settlement who will benefit from the plant. Each unit has four light points and a single plug point. The plug points are currently being used for charging mobiles and 15 streetlights. The power can also be used to charge the solar fences in the area. The anganwadi has also been provided a power connection,” said Aneesh Prasad, technical engineer, Anert.
“We have floated tenders for setting up decentralised solar and wind power units in Mele Thuduki and Galasi, which are even farther away. While the unit at Thazhe Thuduki is a centralised one, we are proposing decentralised units for Mele Thuduki and Galasi due to the distance between the huts there. A 2kW hybrid plant will be set up for each house,” Aneesh said.
To reach Galasi, we have to climb and descend a steep hill. From the nearest motorable road, at Aanavaayi check post, the location is nearly a 14km trek away.
During the monsoon, vehicles cannot make it even thus far. The trek also involves crossing a river that has no bridge. Therefore, the materials can be moved only during summer when the waters recede, said B Vishnu, an Anert technician.
“The trek to Thazhe Thuduki started at 8am and we had to return by 4pm, after which wild animals rule the roost. We have trained two locals to attend to complaints of the solar panels, said Vishnu.
“Earlier, wild elephants and boars would come up to our doors, but now the lights keep them away,” said Chindan, son of the chieftain of Thazhe Thuduki, one of the trained locals.
As the houses in Mele Thuduki and Galasi will have individual units the inverters involved will only weigh around 15kg each. It is estimated to cost Rs 3 crore to complete the project, of which Rs 50 lakh has to be paid as wages to the workers considering the inaccessibility to the settlements, Vishnu added.