Darkness dispelled from remote Garo village! Correspondent TURA, Dec 26 – A remote village sandwitched between several hills and streams in West Garo Hills has been gifted with electricity for the first time on Tuesday. A five-kilo watt micro-hydel unit at Baladinggre, around 30 kms from here, which was built under the RSVY scheme was inaugurated yesterday by Uttam K Sangma, NEC Secretary and chairman NERCORMS, Shillong in the presence of Sanjay Goyal, Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills.
Baladinggre is a secluded village situated at the foothills of the Nokrek peak and as such was an inaccessible place. However, after the intervention of the District Administration through the then IFAD, developmental works began by way of construction of jeepable roads, etc. The construction of the micro hydel unit at the village was also such a project undertaken to provide clean electricity to the 25 households in the village.
Baladinggre village was primarily engaged in Jhum cultivation, however, after the intervention of the District Administration the village now boasts of an apiculture centre, terrace cultivation under NREGS, bamboo plantations under Social Forestry and other income generating activities like squash cultivation, arecanut plantations, orange orchards, piggery, poultry, etc. All said and done the IFAD has totally changed the lifestyle of the village by creating new and sustainable avenues of livelihood.
However, the micro hydel unit will be by far the most life changing utility the village will ever add to its list of infrastructure development. Shekhar K Sangma in his address to the gathering thanked the IFAD for making the village closer to the outside world by initiating development works such as construction of jeepable roads, plantations, etc. “The Soil Conservation department will also train the villagers on sustainable agricultural practices and teach the villagers how to efficiently use whatever available resources to be self- sufficient,” he said.
The Administrative Officer, NERCORMP, Hrishikesh Singh said that they would train trainers to maintain the power generator and also teach them what electricity and power generation is all about. “We will also train the villagers on water management, etc and will also install a more effective turbine for the power generators in the near future,” he said and added that the power plant for the time being could sustain 36 households including nine households from the nearby village of Sakalgre.
NEC Secretary Uttam K Sangma lauded the IFAD’s endeavours to mobilise the community into a self-reliant group and said “This village will feature in the NEC’s 2011 calendar wherein the achievements of the village will be highlighted. I feel happy for the village, but urge the community leaders and elders to be more proactive in the future”.
