For the past 6 months the people of Bilgaon and activists of Narmada Bachao
Andolan have been doing shramdaan to build Bilgaon's village electrification
system. Designed by the People's School of Energy, Bilgaon's Micro-Hydel
system taps the power of a natural water fall. 15 KW of electricity will be
produced that will be more than sufficient to light all 12 hamlets of this
tribal village through 13.5 Kilometers of wiring spread over the sloping
hills of the Satpuda range of the Narmada valley. During the day the
electricity can be used for pumping drinking water, livelihood creation and
for taking a second crop in parts of the land. The turbine can also directly
drive a chakki/mill using the energy of the waters . The Bilgaon Navnirman
Samiti with membership from every family will ensure equitable and
sustainable usage of the electricity.

The Bilgaon Micro-Hydel system will be inaugarated on Jan 14, 1-3 PM by Shri
R.R. Patil, Rural Development Minister, Government of Maharshtra. This is to
invite you and friends interested in Sangarsh and Nirman, in decentralized
alternatives and a new development paradigm, to be a part of the momentous
occassion of the Adivasi people of the Narmada valley.

As many of you know, 33 tribal villages of Maharshtra and tens of thousands
of hectares of forest land are being submerged by the Sardar Sarovar dam in
a
belt where there are hundreds of adivasi hamlets with no promise of
electricity, even after independence. While Bilgaon micro-hydel system
lights
up all 12 unelectrified hamlets of Bilgaon village the large SSP dam
produces
very little electricity and none of the adivasi villages will be electrified
by it. The installation cost of the Bilgaon project is Rs 40,000/KW while
the
SSP is wasteful for Maharashtra at Rs 56,000/KW

Be a part of this event and witness the power of the people, by the people.
Several states in India including Maharshtra claim to have achieved 100%
village electrification. Is this really so? What is the definition of
Village
electrification? Do people like us have a role to play? Find out for
yourself....

Directions:
From Mumbai reach Dhule by 13th morning (6:30 AM) by taking overnight
private
or state buses and then proceed to Bilgaon (5 hrs) using state buses or Sumo
via Shahda and Dhadgaon .

Contacts:

Mumbai
Pervin Jehangir: 22184779
Sashi Mehta: 22029296
Daniel Mazgaonkar, Mumbai Sarvodaya Friendship Centre: 28513660
Ravi and Aravinda: 25566703

Dhule
Shyam Patil: (0256)2246419.