Bilgaon MicroHydel Project

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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project
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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project

• Summary Info
• Located in Bilgaon, Nandurbar District,
  Maharashtra.
• Purpose
• - Provide electricity to two tribal villages
  (Bilgaon Maal)
• - Tribal belt of Narmada valley above
  submergence area.
• Main Benefits
• - 191 unelectrified adivasi households in
  Bilgaon.
• - 1 Ashramshala (residential school) holding
  300 students.
• - Can be extended to Maal village having 160
  households.
• Added Benefits
• - Employment (10 jobs).
• - Community controlled grinding units.
• - Easier access to drinking water for
  womenfolk.

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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project

• Project Players
• Peoples School of Energy. Kerala
• AID (Austin, TAMU, Maryland Ann Arbor)
• NBA (In terms of volunteers)
• Bijli Samithi General Council represents
  households.
• Villagers through Shramdan

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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project

• What I saw during last week of 2002
• 90 of Check Dam construction work completed
• Canal completed. Roofing needed
• Turbine Installed. Roofing Plastering for Power
  House pending
• Generator to be installed
• Distribution network to be setup. All required
  materials procured.
• Internal wiring for all the houses and school
  pending

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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project

• Some Observations
• Very high enthusiasm of villagers. Village very
  popular because of this project!
• Project needs a few more resources who can manage
  people
• Impediments for project
• Remoteness of village makes it difficult for
  supplies to get here on time
• Villagers though are committed to the project
  sometimes take off (during marriages, other
  festivities) which affects work.

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Bilgaon Micro-Hydel Project

• Current Status
• Project completed on Jan14, 2003 and inaugurated.
• Electricity production going smoothly
• Bilgaon - A model for True Development