From the time we wake up from our bed till we sleep, from
electric heaters, microwave ovens and laptops to study lamps, we just can’t
imagine our lives without “electricity”, which has become a part and parcel of
our busy lives. A few hours of power-cut is enough to make our lives unstable.
Of late, this incredible innovation of man has often generated chaos between
the states. While we kept complaining about the power cuts and were busy
blaming the electricity board and the government, there was one man who was busy
investing all his time, resources and energy to achieve something unbelievable
and this is the story of this incredible man from a remote village in
Karnataka, a village that never knew what ‘electricity’ is, until he introduced
it to them!
Jayapura, a small village in Chikmagalur, Karnataka that
perfectly embodies in itself, the beauty of Malnad region is a hilly area with
abundant natural sources of water including streams, tiny water falls and
rivulets. I stood there on an inclined, muddy piece of land, after having made
my way through trees and shrubs. Something enthralling was about to happen. A
storage tank situated a few feet high contained water collected from perennial
sources; the valves were opened and a long pipe connected to the tank carried
the water down the slope. I hurriedly made my way towards the end of the pipe.
Little did I know what’s happening inside the pipe – the flowing water was
gaining a greater speed in proportion to the decreasing diameter of the pipe, finally
opening its mouth to release the water onto an astounding machine. The water
had just started rotating a turbine. The sound of the turbine resonated in the
air and within a few seconds, an electric bulb connected to the machine glowed
brightly! Well, I had seen the electric bulb glow a thousand times. But I stood
there overwhelmed, staring at the bulb! What I saw, reminded me of a scene from
the Hindi movie Swades. It wasn’t Mr. Khan. But there stood in front of me, a
real hero who had made thousands in remote habitats witness this magical moment,
the moment of experiencing the power of ‘electricity’!
Mr. G.K. Rathnakar, the man who is making thousands experience the power of 'electricity' |
Mr. G.K. Rathnakar, a simple man from a small village in
Chikmagalur, Karnataka, has taken electricity to areas located 25 to 40 km off
the roads where there is still no sign of electricity including tribal areas
and naxal belts in Kanataka. His innovative approach has now spread to many
other states in India including Orissa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Hydro electricity was not a new concept when he came up with his innovation .
But Mr. Rathnakar redefined the entire approach, applicability and
accessibility of this beautiful process of harnessing energy from water called
hydro-electricity. He now customizes the entire setup as per the requirements
of an individual or a village, considering the source of water, the budget and
the power requirement. He has generated electricity of power ranging from 0.5
kW to 100 kW, from a single hut to an entire village! He has done 350
hydro-electricity projects, reaching out to thousands of people so far and aims
to install a thousand turbines! Let alone rural areas. “Every urban area has a
system to collect the sewage water. Why not use this waste water to run
turbines in different localities? That could be used to generate enough
electricity to light the street lights. Given an opportunity, I am ready to
make this, a reality”, says Mr. Ratnakar with an unshakable confidence in his
voice.
A tribal family - the beneficiaries of the mini hydro electricity turbine |
This man who never attended the college now talks
elaborately about complex scientific concepts and he also trains a few
engineering students every year inspiring them to challenge the status quo and
making them understand the practicalities of life in the rural areas. He is
also invited by various educational institutions to talk to the youth in
seminars and workshops. He now has a team of 8 people who are from the same
locality specialized in winding, welding, painting and electrical work who are
not technically qualified but are great performers in their areas of
specialization.
A glimpse of Mr. Rathnakar's workshop |
Around 20 years ago, access to electricity for the people in
his small village, Jayapura was still a distant dream. The then Karnataka
Electricity Board (which is now KPTCL - Karnataka Power Transmission
Corporation Limited) had a long way to go to reach this tiny remote village. Determined
to generate electricity for his home all by himself, Mr. Ratnakar started
experimenting, trying to light the bicycle dynamo using flowing water. Meanwhile,
he was successful in generating enough electricity that could light a few bulbs
at his home and after five years of struggle, he innovated an hydro electric
turbine best suited for remote areas where the supply of conventional methods
of electricity was not feasible.
Mr. Rathnakar at his factory that builds customized hydro turbines |
Everything was not easy-going for Mr. Rathnakar. The then
KEB, took him to task considering that generating electricity by private/
individuals was an offence. However , after much discussions including the then
Chief Minister Mr. J H Patel, it was concluded that he was generating
electricity for his own purpose at his expense for personal use without causing
any harm to anyone. He was finally allowed to continue working on the project.
Now, on the other hand, the government is supporting the generation of
renewable sources of energy and has joined hands with Mr. Rathnakar on a few
projects.
Mr. Rathnakar further decided to reach out to groups of
houses located 30 to 40 km deep in the forests, partly being naxal-affected
areas. For KPTCL, it was not cost-effective and there was no provision to lay
electric cables in thick forests as it could be dangerous to the trees and
wildlife. Maintenance was also a challenge. But he thought he could use the
water that flows through the forests, to generate electricity without causing
any harm to the natural resources. Now, he has provided electricity to around
200 such homes located in remote areas.
The mini hydro electric turbine |
The entire process is eco-friendly as it does not generate
any pollution or wastage. In fact, the water that rotates the turbine,
discharged out of the machine flows further down to rotate a few more turbines thereby
generating electricity for a few more homes on its downward journey. Sometimes it
is allowed to flow into farms and agricultural lands and at a few places, it is
also being used for drinking purposes.
One among hundreds of houses that makes use of hydro electric power |
The turbine we just witnessed could generate 2 kWof
electricity and we went inside a house to check the efficiency of the system. A
switch on the wooden board allowed us to switch between the KPTCL power and the
power generated by the turbine. After checking out both, I realized there was
hardly any difference between the two. The quality and intensity of the lights
were the same. Infact, the hydro-electricity generated could also effectively
support the running of refrigerator,
television and mixer grinder, without any glitch. Infact, to the same machine
is attached, a grinding machine that can simultaneously crush grains and spices
into fine powder.
Mr. Rathnakar, busy operating his machine |
The National Innovation Foundation has joined hands with Mr.
Ratnakar to support and improvise his
project. He was also honored with National Award by ex-President Dr. APJ Abdul
Kalam. He says there is a scope to install a minimum of 10790 turbines in the
state. He is currently involved in setting up a factory where he dreams to
design and make hundreds of turbines that would change the lives of many more. He
has also planned to engage a huge turbine close to the factory that would cater
to all the electrical requirements of the entire setup.
A new turbine in the making |
Having worked on many projects with students and being
constantly involved in interactions with youth, Mr. Rathnakar says, “A lot of
youngsters aspire for a great job. But with unemployment still a challenge in
the country, I would like to see the youth harness their potential and innovate
simple concepts that can make a difference to the local people. I am an example to this and I feel contented
that I have created a few job opportunities and indirectly supported their
families. I have lighted up hope and happiness in the lives of many through
electricity. Similarly, the youth, in their own locality or village can think
about innovation.”
While we have abundant natural resources using which we can
sustainably produce enormous amounts of power, while there is a huge scope
to generate energy from renewable resources,
all it takes is a systematic approach to the problem, well-planned projects and
honest implementation of the same. It demands a combined effort of government,
innovative minds and the general public. If every state works on this, then what
could stop us from dreaming of achieving self-sufficiency?
Mr. Ratnakar is an amazing example who challenged the status
quo. Instead of constantly complaining about the problems, he took to action. Inspite
of coming from a rural background, with limited access to education and
resources and with little encouragement, what he has achieved is noteworthy.
This is just another example of how simple yet extraordinary individuals, in
our rural Bharat are silently revolutionizing the way we look at problems. And
they are telling us, “Hey, stop looking outside for solutions for the problems
that make you worry. Instead, look ‘inside’and probably, the solution lies
right within your own self’! And yes,
the day is not far when we will look towards our villages for solutions to our
complex problems. Because, ‘innovations that can make a difference to and save
the mankind’ are probably happening ‘there’!
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