Thematic Area: Energy & Environment
Project Guide(s): Mr. Sreenivasan N., Department of Physics and Ms. Mahitha, School of Arts and Sciences
Amrita Partner(s): Tadi Mownika, Sneha Ramesh, Amritha Narayanan, Gokul V.D., and
Village: Ratanpur, Bihar
Project Duration: One semester
Identified Challenge & Aim: Many villages in India do not have access to electricity. Villages that do receive power intermittently and with frequent disruption, making the supply of electricity unreliable. While government projects and initiatives have come a long way to address the massive challenge of complete rural electrification, a more localized and sustainable solution is warranted.
The Study/Innovation: The team first conducted a survey to understand social, cultural, economic, political, environmental, and technological factors and features in the village. They also went around the village and made a resource map. This gave the team a clear picture of the sustainable resources available in the village and helped the team understand the quantity of the resources available. This was subsequently followed by group discussions with villagers to understand current challenges in access to electricity and other sources of energy. The team also conducted semi structured interviews with village women about possible alternative, cleaner sources of energy to greatly enhance their lives. The interviews were followed with brainstorming sessions and an informal assessment of possible solutions. Students subsequently designed, developed, and proposed a sustainable solution to meet the energy needs of the village.
