Village sans electricity

That development still has to reach villages close to the national Capital and be inclusive is evident from the case of Bhurwas village of Nagina block in the Mewat region of Haryana. Around 30 homes in the village, besides a primary and middle school, have been without electricity for the last 30 years, resulting in hardships to the residents and denial of basic amenities to them. Ironically, in these three decades, not only has the state made rapid strides in development but Gurugram and Faridabad districts, out of which Nuh district was carved out, have seen large-scale urbanisation and growth in terms of infrastructure. Starting as a cluster of homes, the village is yet to get the required infrastructure, with a transformer only recently being installed. While villages in some districts of Haryana get round-the-clock supply of electricity, villages in the Mewat region are yet to receive it, though under the Mhara Gaon Jagmag Gaon scheme, there are plans to do so. Power distribution companies blame power theft and non-payment of dues as the reasons that account for inadequate supply. Electrifying rural areas also enjoins on the power distribution companies to look for alternative or renewable sources of energy.

Mewat’s neighbouring districts of Gurugram and Faridabad have a large number of malls, hotels and restaurants which consume a lot of electricity. The commercial consumption of electricity should not result in the rural areas lagging behind despite efforts being made to increase electrification there. With malls and shopping centres taking steps to install solar energy and other alternative sources of power, efforts are being made to make commercial establishments more energy efficient.

Mewat was listed by the Niti Aayog for the ‘Aspirational districts programme’ because of its backwardness and to improve the physical and financial infrastructure therein. Mewat is testimony to the uneven growth in rural Haryana. Educational institutions sans electricity do not bode well for the state. The area needs a push on the pedal for progress.