India's First Fully Solar Village Lights Up Lives

India's First Fully¹ Solar Village Lights Up Lives

Kesa Bhai Prajapati works with material from earth called clay to make containers like jugs² and vases. Prajapati recently became much happier while making his products.

Prajapati is 68 years old and from the village of Modhera in western India's Gujarat state. He is happier because he has doubled the amount of clay goods he can make compared to a few months ago.

He creates his products on a machine called a potter's wheel.

In the past, he was producing less because he had to turn the wheel himself. He could not pay the cost of running an electric motor. The electricity bill was up to $18.19 a month.

Now, however, his machine moves on solar power. Earlier this month, Prajapati's village was declared India's first village to run completely on solar power all the time. The village has around 6,500 people living there who mostly work with clay, clothes, shoes, or on farms.

Prajapati said, "Electricity has helped us to save time and produce more products."

India is the world's third-largest carbon dioxide releaser. But it aims to meet half of its energy demands from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, by 2030. That is an increase over its earlier goal of 40 percent. The government said it met that goal in December 2021.

The project in Modhera was financed³ by the federal and local governments for nearly $10 million. It involved setting up over 1,300 solar panels⁵ on the tops of private and government buildings that were connected to a power plant.

The government buys surplus⁶ energy produced from the villagers if they do not use all of the amount that has been given to the household.

Praveen Bhai is 43 years old and works with clothes. With the extra money, he plans to buy a gas connection and stove. Many houses in the village cook food on wood-fired stoves which create smoke.

He said, "I had to teach the kids under the streetlamp. Now they will be able to study inside the house."

Modhera is known for its ancient Sun Temple which honors the sun god. And it is located in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state Gujarat. Gujarat will be holding elections later this year.

Modi said earlier this month, "For a self-reliant India of the 21st century, we have to increase such efforts related to our energy needs."

Reena Ben is 36 years old and sews clothes part time. The solar power has hugely helped her work.

She said, "When we got access to solar power, I bought an electric motor worth 2,000 rupees ($24) to attach to the sewing machine. Now I am able to sew one or two more clothes daily."

Words in This Story

source – n. someone or something that provides what is wanted or needed

solar panel⁴ – n. a large, flat piece of equipment that uses the sun's light or heat to create electricity

kid – n. a son or daughter

lamp – n. a device that produces light

self-reliant – adj. confident in your own abilities and able to do things for yourself: not needing help from other people

access – n. a way of being able to use or get something

motor – n. a machine that produces motion or power for doing work

1 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

2 jugs   

（有柄及小口的）水壶( jug的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Two china jugs held steaming gravy. 两个瓷罐子装着热气腾腾的肉卤。
• Jugs-Big wall lingo for Jumars or any other type of ascenders. 大岩壁术语，祝玛式上升器或其它种类的上升器。

3 financed   

为…供给资金，从事金融活动( finance的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Capital expenditure can be financed by borrowing; operating expenditure should not. 资本支出可以靠借款，而运营费用不行。
• All purchases shall be financed with the proceeds of loan. 全部货款用贷款支付。

4 panel   

n.面，板，专门小组，控制板，仪表盘

参考例句：

• The unusual control panel on the walls caught our attention.墙上不同寻常的控制板引起了我们的注意。
• The panel of judges included several well-known writers.评判小组中包括几位知名作家。

5 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

6 surplus   

adj.过剩的，多余的；n.过剩，剩余额

参考例句：

• The manufacturers in some countries dumped their surplus commodities abroad.一些国家的制造商向国外倾销过剩产品。
• The surplus steam was blown off through the pipes.多余的蒸气通过管道放掉了。