Lit by biofuel

How true were PM Modi’s claims made during Independence Day speech?

A probing look into his claims reveals that not all that he said is in sync with the official data

More clean energy

A long wait

In Panna district of Madhya Pradesh, delays in setting up power connections have marred the village residents' hope for a better life

Current distress

Six states, 30 villages, 13,000 kilometres. Down To Earth travelled to some of the most remote villages of the country to assess India's progress …

Three-year action plan identifies gaps in rural development schemes

Over the next three years, the government wants to focus on strengthening implementation and monitoring of existing schemes

Reaching for the sun

Micro-financed solar energy systems light up Bangladesh’s rural areas

Off-grid thinking

Solar lamps can reach where transmission lines cannot  

Out of option

Solar becomes lifeline for power-starved Bihar, but cheap and inferior equipment dominate market

Poverty as a posture?

Light pollution spreads diseases

It is difficult to comprehend modern life sans nighttime light. But the amenity comes at a price. Bruno A S De Medeiros and Alessandro Barghini …

Power-packed option

Even remote areas can be electrified through biomass gasification

A consumer movement is born

Villages plug into the grid, manage their own supply  

How does the Budget score on energy front?

The government has approved Rs 2,000 crore as initial outlay for providing LPG connections to poor women 

A dull year for renewable energy

While the increase in solar capacity has been stated clearly, it is unclear what direction the currently faltering renewable industry will take …

Boon or bane?

The condition in electrified villages is no better than that of the unelectrified ones in Bihar's Saran district. The voltage is so low that even …

Flicker of solar light in Chhattisgarh

Practical matters

Despite growth in renewables, coal-based power will continue to fulfil a large share of India's power needs. Instead of resisting the new …

Hope flickers

Solar electricity lights the maximum number of villages in Chhattisgarh—but barely so

Separate feeders for homes, fields in Maharashtra

First-ever tidal plant in Sunderbans in West Bengal

Sunderbansto have country's first tidal power plant

Big mini revolution

How to take community-led rural electrification forward

Two steps at a time  

‘Separate power feeders can greatly improve rural electrification’

Over 65 years after Independence, nearly half of the 800 million people living in rural India are yet to get access to electricity. A major …

When villages plug in

A Consumer movement is catching on in Nepal.Communities are extending the grid to villages.This threatens to undo the effort put in small-scale …