The first time the residents of Ghatkunang and Khangav villages saw a bulb light up their homes, they were so moved, they prayed. Thanks to the efforts of four Bengaluru students, these two remote villages of Joida taluk in Uttara Kannada district will no longer be in darkness. What started out as a project by Sunny Arokia Swamy, Balachandra M Hegde, Kumara Swamy, and Kotresh Veerapura, all students of MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, has become a blessing for the 18 households that now have solar-powered lighting.

How they did it

As there was no infrastructure available for drawing electricity lines, it had to be completely solar-powered. With help from other students, they started working on a system that would suit the climatic conditions of the village. The team met every Saturday and Sunday in the college lab to work on the project. The prototype was tested for durability and reliability in a private lab.

Once it was approved, 20 more such systems were made. Each system cost them Rs 20,000.

The systems were installed last month in the houses. Each consisted of a 100Wp solar panel, 65Ah battery, 1 tubelight and 3 bulbs. In the absence of electricity, the installation itself was quite the task. They had to use manual drills and work under the light of a torch. The high-power solar panels can light four sources of light for up to 48 hours.

The residents were also taught to maintain the system. Local electricians were also trained to tackle any problems. When the first bulb was lit in early April, the smile on their faces was unforgettable, said Balachandra. "Their first reaction was to pray. That moment made us realise how much their lives had changed," he said.

Propelled by their success, the students now want to reach out to more such villages, "because there was nothing happier than that smile".