- The project of installing solar power plates, batteries and stoves in all the 75 houses was started in September 2017 and got completed by December 2018
- With the help of a team from IIT Mumbai, a special solar stove was developed
Bancha in Betul district is the first village in India to have zero wooden stoves and almost no use for LPG cylinders with all its 75 houses relying on solar-powered stoves to meet their cooking needs, claims social activist Mohan Nagar.
There are places in India where solar plates are used sporadically for cooking, but with the help of a team from IIT Mumbai, a special solar stove was developed. No more trees are cut by the villagers for lighting their stoves. The Central government’s decision to choose Bancha has changed has set an example which can be replicated to make other villages smoke and pollution free, Nagar told ANI.
Nagar who is also a member of the Bharat-Bharti Shiksha Samiti, an NGO spoke about the role played by the team from IIT Mumbai and thanked Union Minister for Petrol and Energy, Dharmendra Pradhan.
He said that the project of installing solar power plates, batteries and stoves in all the 74 houses was started in September 2017 and got completed by December 2018.
Harvind, a villager, who had benefitted from the scheme said that they are now able to cook their food without hassles and it has also brought electricity to their homes.
The success story of Bancha is an eye opener which shows the potential of renewable energy. Not only will it help the nation economically but will also prove to work wonders for the environment if implemented across India.