KORAPUT ADMINISTRATION provided 17 SOLAR-POWDERED STREET LIGHTS to VILLAGE

KORAPUT (ODHISHA), January 17: Thanks to installation of solar lights, smile is writ large on the face of the people of Tanginipadar village in Narayanpatna area of this Maoist-hit district. "We are delighted as the village, where people were living in darkness for so many decades, has been equipped with solar street lights for the past two months. Children are being able to play and study in the evening. Earlier, we felt threatened by wild animals venturing inside the villages, but now it is safe with lights," said Sarpanch of Tentulipadar Mulia Mandangi. The Koraput district administration has provided 17 solar-powdered street lights to the village with a population of 381. Officials said 200 remote villages in Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon and Boipariguda blocks would be lit up using solar power. Out of 71 identified villages in Narayanpatna, the administration has installed 274 street lights in 26 villages. "There are some remote places in the district which have not been connected with our power-supply grid because of different reasons. We have identified such villages and will provide them with solar street lights. The aim is that no village should be devoid of electricity," said Koraput district Collector, Jaya Kumar V. Apart from building the villager's confidence, electrifying those also helps in strengthening their economy as they get extra working hours at night, he added. Officials said electrification was just the first step towards development of remote villages in the district. Now we plan to provide safe drinking water and pucca roads to more villages in the interior pockets of the district, the Collector said. -PTI