People's Democracy(Weekly Organ of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) |
Vol.
XXX
No. 18 April 30, 2006 |
ELECTRICITY
plays a very important role in supporting the various economic activities to
increase people’s welfare. After 58 years of independence, India has almost half a billion people without access to
electricity. The traditional model of utility based, centralised grid extension
cannot cover the entire population for demographic and economic reasons. When we
talk about rural electrification we always think about distribution lines,
transformers, poles and conductors involving large quantum of power. We
generally do not think about small-distributed generation, which is often
beautiful.
The
Load Survey for Rural India indicates that the vital energy needs of 30 million
rural households are for lighting, followed by entertainment, driven by need to
power TVs, Tape Recorders, etc. However,
the amount of electricity required is so low, that the distribution line
operates only at 10 per cent utilisation, even many States in the country have
achieved 100% rural electrification long back yet only 60 per cent – 65 per
cent rural households have taken electric connections. As such the
transportation cost of energy becomes very high. Most of the rural people do not
think of using electricity beyond the above-mentioned applications.
Providing
centralised supply of electricity to remote areas requires capital- intensive
distribution networks without capacity addition. Many rural electrification
programmes have involved extending grids from larger to small demand centers
with increasing economic and technical difficulties.
An
alternative to a centralised system is to develop and support the market for
decentralised electricity access. This obviously, requires a shift in perception
from the focus of commercial energy to
the provision of energy services. The distributed generation has been
successfully demonstrated in a number of instances, though challenges still
exist. For example, the poor do not have the available credit to invest in solar
home electricity system and financial institutions and the governments are often
geared to financing large scale infrastructures rather than small scale
facilities. Such an attitude creates major but unfocussed problems in the
country. The result of such an attitude is disparity between the level of
village electrification and electrification of rural households. The village
electrification level in the country has already exceeded 87 per cent whereas
household electrification level in the country is only 47 per cent, and in
respect of household electrification, there is a big regional imbalances.
The
households electrification level in the Eastern and North Eastern parts of the
country is comparatively low. There are many reasons behind such low figure of
household electrification. It is not only due to poor performance of State
Electricity Boards (SEB) but also due to other social and political issues. A
large cross section of the people residing in this region require energy for
lighting purposes and they will continue to do so for the coming few years. As
present, these people are more or less compelled to be satisfied with Kerosene
oil lamps which give them at least energy independence in the sense that they
have a reliable lighting source and get the service as and when they need it.
They are very much aware that Kerosene oil based lamps are inefficient,
polluting and often they purchase Kerosene oil at Rs 30.00 per Ltr. But they do
not have any other alternatives. Even
if they take electric connections often the same is not available to them for
days together.
Here, also we need a change in perception. We must concentrate more on small
distributed generation system, keeping in view both centralized and
decentralised generation. In fact, one should compliment the other. The Rural
electrification programme based on centralised generation, with extension of
grid, is already under execution stage and gradually picking up mainly in the
affluent rural areas of the country. However, the concept of distributed
generation particularly Individual Distributed Generation (IDG) system which
mostly comprise of Solar Photovoltaic Home Lighting Systems, is most relevant
for the rural poor from technical, economic and social point of view. This has
not so far been properly explored.
The
Solar Home Lighting System, of appropriate capacity can do miracles in rural
areas both in respect of providing light to the poor people, employment
generation in rural areas, improve overall socio-economic condition keeping
harmony with nature. It has been
estimated that in order to install and maintain about one hundred Solar Home
Lighting Systems at least three unemployed youths could be engaged. For
servicing of 10 million Solar Home Systems services of about 3
lacs semi-educated unemployed youth would be required. It is easy to install
and at least 30 million households could be covered under this programme within
a very short period.
The
country has the necessary infrastructure for implementation of such are
important programme. In fact, solar module production capacity of the nation has
not yet been fully utilised. The need of
the hour is to launch a National Solar Energy Programme. The programme could be
named as The Solar Mission. Setting up of Solar home lighting systems and
small Solar PV Power Plants have already been tried in many parts of the
country, particularly in the State of West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and parts of UP.
The result is very encouraging, It has
been highly praised and also recorded by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Energy and Standing Committee of the Legislative Assembly.
The
programme already has a good performance record though in a limited sphere. In a
country like India such a programme could be converted
into a people’s programme. The country may launch a nationwide programme to
eradicate the use of Kerosene oil based polluting lanterns.
Initiation
of an effective implementation of the Solar Mission to
power 30 million households will ensure light to the rural people. Further they
will have access to the outer world through electronic media. The Solar
Mission could be a right step for a country like India.