NSIC light up Kwatha with Solar lamps
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 03 2014: In a significant move which deserves full appreciation, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) Limited has distributed one solar lamp to each and every household of Kwatha.

NSIC Manipur sub-branch distributed the solar lamps under the corporate social responsibility (CRY) initiatives in association with Agartala based Gundoot Social Welfare Centre.

Notably, Kwatha is one of the oldest Meitei villages and it is located around 10 Kms away from Imphal-Moreh highway and 100 Kms away from Imphal.

Although Kwatha is officially electrified, electricity remains inaccessible most of the time thereby causing serious difficulties in the remote village.

On learning about the difficult situation of Kwatha with 7 Kms of the 10 Kms long road leading to the village from Imphal-Moreh highway filled with dust and pebbles, NSIC Manipur sub-branch, after lobbying hard with Guwahati branch, was able to provide solar lamps to each and every household of the village, said NSIC Manipur sub-branch deputy manager L Ibetombi.

NSIC official distributing the solar lamps

The village was selected for distribution of solar lamps as the village was not found in the list of electrified villages of Chandel district after an exhaustive search in internet.

In a simple but very significant function held at Kwatha Khunjao community hall yesterday, DIC Chandel General Manager Y Raghumani who was the chief guest of the function said that the solar lamps were distributed to ease a little bit the difficulties endured by the villagers.

NSIC Guwahati branch senior manager G Ghatak who came to Manipur along with technical experts presided the function.

He spoke briefly in Manipur and advised the villagers to use the solar lamps with care.

Later one solar lamp was distributed to each of 190 households of Kwatha Khunjao and Kwatha Khunou.

Impressed by the initiative of NSIC, Kwatha village chairman and secretary prayed for god's abundant blessings upon NSIC officials.

Indian Council of Small Industries vice-president P Loken who was also seated on the dais as guest of honour informed the gathering that the Manipur Industries Development Council has been working to set up a bamboo-soot (soibum) cluster at Kwatha.

Saying that the project would be taken with sizeable monetary assistance from the Government of India, Loken exuded that the project can significantly alleviate socio-economic condition of Kwatha village.

Reminding that Manipur Industries Development Council have trained Kwatha villagers several times on scientific methods of bamboo soot fermentation or soibum production, Loken said that Kwatha would excel in soibum production once the cluster is set up.

Kwatha is already famous for its soibum but the traditional method of producing soibum is prone to large scale wastage which implies less profit.

Moreover, effluents discharged in the process of bamboo soot fermentation is toxic and destroys soil fertility.

All these drawbacks can be avoided once the bamboo soot cluster is set up.