Case Study 4 – Gramodaya 2
Community Based Micro – Hydro Power Plant
Power to the People: The Putsil way
Introduction
Often, there is an increasing need for power supply
in rural areas, partly to supply small industries, and
partly to provide illumination at night. It is useful to
explore energy that can generate income at all level,
or contribute towards augmenting the productivity
of household work. Often mini-hydro power project
is most dependable and efficient means to meet
the power requirements. Though they are small,
comparatively they are effective when used in remote
areas where the power grid does not prevail or cost to
extend the grid connection is higher.
Business Model of the Project
In the village of Putsil (Koraput district, Orissa State),
the micro-hydro scheme established by Gramodaya,
uses water from the stream Kodramb, which is a
tributary of the Karandi River. It is a perennial stream
which drains an area of approximately 3 sq. km. The
village, Putsil, is situated near Deomali Hills. The
village population is 369, consisting of 182 males
and 187 females. The primary source of economic
livelihood in the village is from agricultural activities.
Establishment of the Power Plant was preceded by
series of intensive interactions with the community
to build capacity of the community to manage the
Micro Hydro Project; effective use of power and other
end use applications. Technical consultations and
feasibility studies were carried out with participation
of the community and the construction work began
towards January 1999. Against their services, the
‘barefoot engineers’ got free labour of 25 person days
(mostly from landless families) every month from the
community for any land development or agricultural
activities.
The capacity of micro-hydro power plant is 25
kW, at present, it generates 10 kW by using cross
flow turbine, which is sufficient to meet the energy
requirement for 80 families to operate home lighting,
run entertainment system (like televison and radio
set) and run mill and machines to grind and extract oil,
and operate woodcrafts lathe. A person was selected
from the village community to receive training on
operation and maintenance of the power plant, putting
up electrical fixtures at household level, and operation
and maintenance of end use machineries. Prior to the
commissioning of the plant the village community was
made aware regarding the overall aspects of the power
production and precaution in use of electricity, its
maintenance, management and distribution.
Economics
The Community contributed a substantial amount of
labour towards the establishment of the micro-hyrdo
power plant. Since 1998, each family has been paying
average Rs. 20/- monthly towards electricity fund, but
they are free to give less during lean season and more
when they have higher cash income. For the family use,
electricity is supplied twice from 6 to 10 pm during
evening hours, again from 3 to 6 am in morning hours,
and to run micro enterprises like mills from 6 to 8 am.
Power is supplied as per the occasional requirement
like marriage, childbirth, serious illness, festivities
and other such occasions. The approach employed
by the community to manage the power plant is
effective combination of traditional values of concern
and flexibility. The power plant equipments and
machineries are insured with Insurance Company with
an annual maintenance charge of around Rs.10,000/-.
Scale Up Potential
There is immense community participation in the
Putsil Micro hydro plant and replicating of the same,
with the involvement of community presents good
opportunities for scaling up. However, identification of
the natural resource base to be utilized and an analysis
of its conflicting uses, would remain the key to success.
Impacts
The Micro-Hydro Power Plant has catalysed visible changes
in Putsil vilalge; the most notable changes are: increase in
income, work sharing, leisure time, community initiatives;
sanitation and cleanliness; awareness and empowerment;
management of local natural resources, forest protection,
sustainable practices of land utilization; so on and so forth.
The main beneficiaries of electrification are women. No
more back-breaking hours of pounding and grinding of
cereals – now they have their Mill. No more they come
hurriedly from the field to do the evening cooking before it
is too dark. There has been an increase in leisure time and
income generating activities. Access to information and the
world outside has become much easier. The Micro Hydro
also benefits the neighbouring villages helping them charge
batteries, use the Mill and gets direct employment and also
other income generation activities.
Sustainability
¯¯ With zero submergence, zero displacement the
Micro Hydro Plant in Putsil has achieved cent
percent integration to a sustainable development
process. Along with power generation, it has made
the Community realize the Power with collective
dream and determination.
¯¯ The approach employed by the community to
manage the plant has effective combination of
traditional values of concern and flexibility. This is
reflected in timing of power supply, collection of
fees, compensation for services to operate the plant
and other end use machineries.
¯¯ The community is in the process of capacity building
for sustainable use of land. They have ear-marked
10 acres of land to learn nursery management,
raising saplings for regeneration of endangered
or lost species. They have already started planting
traditional cash generating trees to raise money.
Contact Person:
Dr. Kirty Bickram Das, Project Director, GRAMODAYA
Suniti Niwas, Plot No. 353/21, Jaydev Vihar
Bhubaneswar – 751 013, Orissa
E-mail: kb_das2000@rediffmail.com