Guwahati: Efforts towards harnessing hydropower can go miles in conserving water. A television mechanic in Baksa of Assam has taken up the task of lighting up his village by tapping into the water power of the local river. A News18 report.
While the debate over mega and micro dams continue in the bio-diverse-enriched northeast, a small-time mechanic from Tamulpur village in Baksa, Dhananjay, came up with the idea of generating electricity from the river flowing along his village when he was unable to recharge his mobile phone.
Blessed with bountiful rainfall, rivers of Assam during monsoon flow with fierce currents. A curious Dhananjay first experimented with a small motor and blades of his table fan to light an LED lamp used in Diwali. Boosted by its results, he repeated a similar technique with a bigger dynamo and larger blades.
After having spent about Rs 35,000, Dhananjay was ready with his power machine. With the help of a few fellow villagers, the crude turbine was placed in the turbulent Borliya river. As the blades started turning, the lamps fixed for testing glowed.
Dhananjay said his turbine which generates around 170 Watt electricity can play a music system and meet the needs of a village household. The river, when in spate during monsoon, can meet the electricity needs of an entire village if properly harnessed, he added.
Villagers now want the government to come forward and use Dhananjay’s idea and implement it on a larger scale for greater good.
Assam’s electricity requirement is likely to shoot up to 2,534MW by 2021-22, which is double that of 2011-12, according to a study.
The study was carried out recently to look into the state’s needs in view of the government’s promise to provide 24/4 electricity to citizens. The power department is also keeping in mind the needs of existing and upcoming industries.
The study found the number of power consumers increased from 28,229,739 in 2013-14 to 29,32,745 in 2016-17.
The installed capacity of power-generating plants in the state at present is 379.7MW which includes coal, hydel and gas-based plants.
Since the state runs short of local supply of power, the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited buys power from the central exchange as well as private power suppliers.
Efforts are on to set up two solar power plants with a capacity of 69MW at Amguri in Sivasagar and a 20MW project at Chandrapur near Guwahati for 24/7 power supply to five towns, including Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Sualkuchi, Rangapara and Jorhat.
(With inputs from Niloy Bhattacherjee)
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