Solar street lights in the village of Mannur, Irungattukottai

By Varsha Yadav

Thuvakkam, a Chennai based NGO has solved the issue of the deficit of street lights at Mannur village, Irungattukottai, by installing 170+ solar street lights with 4 traffic blinkers, marking the first of its kind project in the year 2022.

The world has a population of 8 billion and India is one of the majorities and is to be the world’s most populous nation by next year. Time is swiftly swaying with our nation emerging as one of the largest emerging economies of the world. Yet the paucity of the fulfillment of basic needs is ever existing amongst a cluster of populace. The need for electricity, as involved in the infrastructure of the nation, is paramount that it has evolved as a basic necessity rather than just a luxury. Thus, Thuvakkam has expanded its work in solving the issue through sustainable means. Joining hands with Hyundai Glovis 175 solar street lights along with 4 blinkers were installed.

The village having about 300 families, amounting to more than 1,200 members, have suffered the lacunae of the street lights. The installation of the solar street lights has helped the villagers solve their basic issues. Women employees who had been working night shifts had to be commuting at 02:00 AM or 03:00 AM, but the pitch dark roads made it harder and unsafe for them, whereby the parents had to accompany them back home considering their safety. Children in the village were unable to play late evening, but now their joy has been restored to playing as they will. Besides benefitting the humans, street lights have also helped in the safety of the animals, which had not been otherwise, due to unfortunate accidents of livestocks. 

The need of street lights is found significant, as it involves the living of people, from going out to their occupation to coming back to being enabled to play and at ease carrying everyday activity. The whole of the village was at a deficit of enjoying traveling to work safely, children missing their play time, elders unable to commute due to the darkness of the area, families worried over the safety of their daughters and children. And, with the installation of the solar street lights, the villagers’ have been able to go about their lives at ease. 

Thuvakkam focuses on boosting  renewable energy usage to meet the energy needs. 

About Author, 

Hi! I am Varsha Yadav, pursuing my Master’s degree in Business Administration. I am an extrovert and love to meet new people and explore things around me. Some of my avid interests include Singing, Dancing, and reading books. I am really thankful for the opportunity to volunteer with your organization and eagerly looking forward to learning and contributing more.