tribal-hamlets-in-tripura-to-benefit-from-solar-water-plants

The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA), a state-run body, has embarked on an ambitious initiative to provide clean drinking water to 50 remote tribal hamlets.

 

The project leverages solar energy to operate community-based purified water plants in areas where conventional electricity is either unfeasible or prohibitively expensive.

 

The plan follows the success of a pilot phase in which 14 tribal hamlets received purified drinking water at a cost of ₹2.24 crore.

These settlements, located in hilly and sparsely populated regions, faced logistical and economic hurdles in accessing electricity for water purification.

 

"The villagers can't afford to pay high running and maintenance costs of power bills, which lead to non-functional rural water supply in some tribal habitations. To address the problem, 14 inaccessible tribal habitations had been identified and extended purified drinking water by using solar energy," said TREDA Joint Director Debabrata Sulkadas.

 

Buoyed by the initial success, the Central Government has allocated ₹8 crore to scale the project. The second phase will see purified water plants established in 50 additional tribal villages, located primarily in hilly terrains.

"We are going to roll out the second phase of community-based purified water plants through solar energy in as many as 50 tribal villages at a cost of ₹8 crore. These tribal villages located in hilly terrains will get purified water supply at the earliest," Sulkadas added.

The initiative is particularly significant for regions where the Jal Jeevan Mission has struggled to deliver due to adverse geography and logistical challenges.

According to Sulkadas, water will be sourced locally, either from waterfalls or borewells, before being purified and distributed to residents.

Crucially, the solar-powered system eliminates the need for electricity bills, making it a sustainable solution for economically disadvantaged communities.

The project is also expected to combat water-borne diseases that are prevalent in these areas.

The TREDA initiative represents a transformative step in addressing the dual challenges of accessibility and affordability, offering a lifeline to some of the state’s most vulnerable populations.