BENGALURU: Raichur has become the first district in India to fully power its health centres using solar energy. With 257 health facilities, including 191 sub-centres and 51 primary health centres (PHCs), the district relies on an average installed solar capacity of 1,000 kWp (kilowatts peak).
This transition to renewable energy has brought significant benefits, reducing electricity bills for these centres by up to 70%. The initiative is also saving the state government approximately Rs 86.4 lakh each year, highlighting how clean energy solutions can lead to both economic and environmental gains.
The initiative was launched by the state health department in collaboration with SELCO, a non-profit organisation, in 2021. This year, the project was further expanded to 5,000 healthcare centres across Karnataka, benefiting more than 3 crore people in rural areas.
Speaking to TNSE, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao shared that the initiative was initially launched in Raichur due to its need for progress and favourable weather conditions, such as ample sunshine. “Currently, the initiative has expanded to 1,152 health facilities, and we have recently added 5,000 more,” he said. Over the next two years, the project aims to cover the entire state, and with this expansion, the government expects to save up to 60 lakhs each month, totalling around 6-7 crore annually, the minister added.
Raichur, which is managing six community health centres, 51 PHCs, 191 sub-centres, four sub-divisional hospitals, and five urban PHCs, all on solar energy, has a specialised centre for solar operations and maintenance, similar to a call centre, where systems are monitored through dashboards to ensure everything is running smoothly.
“A few years ago, many were hesitant to come to these centres for deliveries, but now they have a different perspective,” said Sara Bano, the PHC officer at Mittimalkapur sub-centre in Raichur District.