Conquest of the last frontier

Vishal Kapoor
Contd from last Saturday
The last leg of rural electrification involved the toughest terrains - deserts, mountain ranges and rivers and LWE-hit areas. Taking electricity to the darkest corners of a country as huge and diverse as India, was a task of epic proportions. To take on this task, a country-wide ‘Team Power’ was formalized, with a single- minded resolve to illuminate every corner of the country. An all-new milestone-based monitoring system was developed to ensure transparency and accountability. The end-to-end process was monitored and every detail was captured including conduct of surveys, procurement, erection of infrastructure and energisation.
 Innovative off-grid solutions were employed to electrify those villages which could not be connected to the National grid. Many of the far-flung areas were not even connected by road. In several areas, the equipment needed for electrification of such villages was dropped with the help of the Indian Air Force. It was a paragon of seamless collaboration between the various entities and agencies across the Centre and the States involved.
Almost two thirds of India’s population resides in rural areas. However, with increasing access to basic amenities, and in wake of a transforming face of rural India, the lines between total and urban areas are progressively blurring. Modern amenities including usage of electrical appliances, television and mobiles are no longer limited to the urban areas. Children do not depend on daylight to study.  (To be contd)