CSR project implementation using solar energy has long-term impact

This project will create a direct impact on 1000+ Maa Badi’s stakeholders and an indirect impact on the parents of the school students as well as villagers.

India is still facing issues related to lack of infrastructure such as electricity, clean water and sanitation, where grid-connected power is still not affordable to many rural areas. Green India Initiative Pvt. Ltd., a for-profit social enterprise, took the initiative to deal with this scenario in India while developing expertise in rural electrification through solar energy projects since 2014. It aspires to bring effective change in rural India by being a reliable sustainability partner for corporate, to execute their corporate social responsibility projects, assuring valued efficient energy solutions.

Today, many corporate are working on healthcare, education, skills development, livelihood, environment, wash, women empowerment, rural and infrastructure development through their CSR fund. A gap between electricity infrastructure, and access and affordable electricity was observed by India Infoline Foundation, under their corporate social responsibility program re-development of Maa Badis at Sarada, Udaipur and Bali, Pali, Rajasthan. They have envisioned supporting the underprivileged communities by providing a modern infrastructure at 30 Maa Badis from Rajasthan. IIFL Foundation did not just aspire to support underprivileged communities for their electricity need but also committed to their growth by implementing new innovative technology for sustainable and impactful projects. The foundation collaborated with GIIPL as a project partner as they have a mission of enlightening 1000 villages till 2025.

The foundation has provided a modern energy infrastructure to 30 Maa Badis with a two kW off-grid solar system for electricity and water lifting through a solar water pump. Team Green India Initiative played a crucial role in supplying material, installation and commissioning to execute this project in 28 Maa Badis of Rajasthan in 200 sq. km. 28 villages concerning thousands of beneficiaries reached.

This project will create a direct impact on 1000+ Maa Badi’s stakeholders and an indirect impact on the parents of the school students as well as villagers from nearby areas of Maa Badis. All stakeholders will get a comfortable environment when they visit 82 NOVEMBER 2021 Maa Badi. With the availability of contact electricity with the help of solar energy Maa Badi’s teachers and students can run lights, fans and e-leaning equipment’s for their educational development. With the help of a solar water pump, Maa Badi stakeholders can use groundwater effectively for their domestic purposes like drinking and cleaning utensils, hygiene purposes for toilets and hand washing.

With this project each Maa Badi can generate up to 2,600 units in a year and total 78,000 units will be generated by 30 Maa Badi’s in a year which further help them to save/earn `15,000/- to 18,000/- per year on electricity bills/from sun. As per the assumptions Reduction of CO2 emission per 1 kWh of solar panel = 1 kg of CO2 and in India approx. units per kW per day – 4 kWh – Rate of sunshine is available (as India fall under the regions with more than 300 days of sunshine). In this project total Reduction of CO2 emission per 2 kWh of solar power = 2 kg of Co2, so CO2 emission reduced: 2880/1000 = 2.88 Tons per year per Maa Badi and 85 tons Co2 emission can be reduced per year by 30 Maa Badis.

This project is successful in many aspects. The success of this project was possible because of the efforts of the management team of India Infoline Foundation, the project team of Green India Initiative, teachers of Maa Badis, members of supporting local NGOs, and the villagers etc. who worked on this project by contributing their sweat equity (shram-daan) to implement this project.