Poor power supply non-issue for Heisnam family
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 18 2014 : For the heisnam family of Singjamei Thongam Leikai miserable po-wer supply situation in Mani- pur makes no difference in their livelihood after the family pa-triarch installed a windmill, generating enough power to run the home.

Suggesting that the people of Manipur too adopt windmill or solar energy to mini- mise impact of acute power supply shortage in the State, 54-year old Heisnam Ratan said frustrated at the unreliable power department he searched for an alternative power source and came up with the idea of installing windmill by investing his hard-earned money.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Ratan said he saved certain amount of money out of the sale proceed of a 25-kilowatt diesel generator to the Regional Potato Farm in Mao area of Senapati district.

In addition to the saving, inquiry by the Deputy Director of the Farm whether he (Ratan) could provide non-conventional source of energy reportedly spurred him to scan the internet in search for firms that deal in either solar energy or wind-assisted power generation.

Windmill installed at Heisnam family

After contacting Pune-based Unitron Energy Company in 2003, Ratan was ask- ed to deposit Rs 1.95 lakh for the windmill equipment besides being told that he would have to undertake training on installation and maintenance, which he duly complied with.

As a part of the training programme the Pune firm sent Ratan to Thailand for a month-long course but retur-ned to india after only two days' stay as the Thailand training instructors realised that he was not only well ver-sed in handling power gene- rating machines but also satisfied that installation and maintenance work could be efficiently carried out by him.

Having installed a 1300-watt windmill at the Mao fa- cility in 2004 which is still functional till date, Ratan unexpectedly met then MANI- REDA Chairman PL Thanga at Tulihal Airport and after a brief introduction was asked by the bureaucrat officer to meet him for discussing about windmill projects.

In association with MANI-REDA, Ratan said he super- vised installation of wind-mills of 10-kilowatt each at Kotlien and Chawangkini villages along IT Road in 2006 followed by similar projects of same kilowatt at Lamhar, Lamdan, Phungyar, Lam-dangmei, Tengnoupal villages in Ukhrul, Senapati, Chura-chandpur and Chandel dis- tricts.

Apart from the projects covering about 100 households in each of these villa- ges, the village roads are also illuminated.

having realised benefit of having windmill, Ratan eventually invested in installing a 250-watt windmill at his residential campus about five years back which enables the family to live comfortably as the children could watch their favourite TV programme while the elders work and earn from home.

Stating that the windmill cost him Rs 3.50 lakh, ratan, who is a physically challenged person due to polio infection, explained that windmills are comparatively much cheaper for many individuals continue to rely upon generators that not only cost in the range of Rs 1-2 lakh but also requires fuel.