A ‘rural innovation’ lights up remote villages!

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’!