Lohegaon temple sets trend, switches to solar power

Gram panchayat to light up entire village with green power, plans to approach electricity dept to install solar lightings in all temples across city

Lohegaon temple sets trend, switches to solar power

Gram panchayat to light up entire village with green power, plans to approach electricity dept to install solar lightings in all temples across city

When the city is grappling with continual power outages, the residents of Lohegaon village near the airport have come up with a rather inimitable idea to conserve electricity. The Lohegaon gram panchayat with assistance of the villagers have installed six solar street light panels (each costing Rs 15,000) across the temple of Saint Tukaram. The 7,500 sq ft temple is the first such religious structure to be powered by solar lighting in the city.

Let there be light: The Lohegaon gram panchayat has installed six solar
street light panels costing Rs 15,000 each, across the temple of Saint
Tukaram. File pic

As the solar panels have been installed on a trial basis, the panchayat members say that if it works well, they will approach the state electricity department and all major temple authorities across the city to install solar lightings in their respective premises.

Saving power
"Earlier we used to face lots of power cuts as the whole town would plunge into darkness for hours. In the past two months after installation of the lights, we are saving 100 per cent electricity. If people start using solar power on a massive scale, the city can get rid of perennial power crisis for ever," Ramesh Moze, a member of the Panchayat, said, adding that solar lamps would be installed in all 15 temples across the village soon. The initiative was taken up by deputy sarpanch of the committee, Bandhu Khandwe, who wants to install solar lights across the 11,000 acre village.

Eco-friendly plan
Besides, the villagers are also taking keen interest in the project and have also funded from their pocket for three solar panels installed atop a nearby government hospital. "We are planning to make the whole village eco-friendly," said Khandwe. The panchayat members will study the maintenance cost and other expenses on the solar panel for the next three months before zeroing in on installing panels across the village. "We will see how it goes and then convince the electricity department to install these panels across all temples in Pune, which might help save some power," Khandwe stated.