Imagine how the villagers (of course on-screen actors) in the movie Swades would have felt when Sharukh Khan brought electricity to the village. Similar emotions were experienced by the inhabitants of Shingo, a village snuggled in the Hemis National Park Area of Rumbak Valley in Ladakh.
The joy of the inhabitants knew no bounds when their village that had been literally living in the dark for ages, was lit up by a solar power plant set up by Paras Loomba and his team of volunteers. Paras Loomba who is the son of an Army officer, has traveled intensively across the country and it was his International Expedition to Antarctica with Robert Swan that changed his course of life forever. Paras, became sure then that he wanted to create sustainable living standards for the people living in the remote areas with the help of technology. Global Himalyan Expedition (GHE) thus came into existence.
Paras and his team of 25 young and energetic people go on an expedition for a duration of 12 days, every year and try to bring about a change in the lives of the people living at almost inaccessible altitudes. With push up from volunteers from countries like USA, Denmark, India, Singapore, Oman, Peru, Kenya and Germany, Paras along with his teammates, has set up the first ever Solar Pico Grid in Ladakh. He says that the inspiration to think out of the box comes from the fact that his team consists of diverse individuals ranging from entrepreneurs to investment bankers to environmentalists.
The team zeroed in on Solar Grid Panel because of the reason that Ladakh receives bright sunlight for almost 300 days in a year. The team’s project included electrification of 28 rooms in a monastery standing tall and proud since the 13th century. After intensive labour spanning hours, the team was successful in lighting up the village with 75 LED bulbs after installation of Solar Pico Grid on the rooftops of the buildings.
The lighting of Shingo Village is a good news for the wanderers who love to get lost far from the maddening crowd. This village is a transit camp providing home stay facility to the travelers who want to reach Zanskar or Markha Valley. With these houses brightened up, the village is set to lure more tourists and in turn would be a boon for Shingo inhabitants as there would be an increase in the livelihood and earning possibilities. Moreover as main livelihood of the society is handicraft-making, the installation of Solar Grid has enabled the craftsmen to increase their working hours and get major benefit from it. The Solar Grid has totally overcome the use of 1600 litres of kerosene by the villagers.
The GHE team is all set to change the face of the interiors of Ladakh, Uttrakhand and Arunachal Pradesh by making them self-sustainable. So, be prepared to live in a solar-lighted remote village in the Himalayas that would brighten up your life with not just LED bulbs but also the scenic beauty around.
References:
http://epaperbeta.timesofindia.com/Article.aspx?eid=31973&articlexml=CITY-OF-angels-FROM-DARKNESS-TO-LIGHT-IN-02092015103014
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-08-06/news/65281037_1_paras-loomba-expedition-leader-himalayan
http://www.thebetterindia.com/15973/tourism-change-lives-people-himalayas-ladakh-global-himalayan-expedition-ebase/
