How solar energy is powering rural healthcare in Chhattisgarh

The installation of solar panels picked up pace from 2010-2012 onwards in Chhattisgarh. Even today, in the state’s areas where conventional grid electricity is absent, patients depend on fully solarised health centres. A report by Deepanwita Gita Niyogi

In many interior villages of Chhattisgarh, solarised healthcare centres serve the needs of rural communities. In these places, either conventional grid electrification is absent due to factors like insurgency and inaccessibility, or else, frequent power failures interrupt services.

The solarisation of public health facilities started around 2000-2001. Gradually, it was linked to the National Rural Health Mission. Sanjeev Jain, who is now retired from the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA), explained the shift in rural electrification, especially in the insurgency-hit Bastar region comprising seven districts. CREDA looks after solar power installation and maintenance throughout the state.

“About 10-12 years ago, government infrastructure and power distribution companies did not reach healthcare facilities in Bastar. There was a clear lack of interest. The idea was to electrify only rural households. As a result, healthcare professionals were absent in most health centres. To tide over the crisis, some of these centres were connected to power under the domestic use category. Even today, there are forest villages where grid electricity cannot reach. In these places, solar is a lifeline,” Jain said.

A report by policy research institute Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) says the same. The focus of electricity access in India has mostly been at the household level. It is only recently that access to electricity is being recognised as critical for public services like health facilities, schools and street lighting.

“In India, primary health centres ensure last-mile delivery of healthcare services. However, one in every two PHCs (primary health centres) in India, and one in every three in Chhattisgarh, is either un-electrified or suffers from irregular power supply,” the CEEW report reads. About 90 percent of PHCs report power cuts between 9 am and 4 pm, a peak period. At such times, solar energy is vital.

Prioritizing health facility

The installation of solar panels picked up pace from 2010-2012 onwards in Chhattisgarh. A PHC usually has a mean daily electricity requirement of around 45.8 kWh (kilowatt hours). A 5kWp (kilowatt peak) solar system can meet 70 percent of its peak demand. In many health centres, CREDA deployed 2kWp solar systems to augment electricity supply.

D.D. Sidar, who works in CREDA, pointed out that in the densely forested Surguja district of the state where grid electricity is absent in many areas, patients depend on fully solarised PHCs. Even solarised community health centres and sub-health centres cater to the rural population. In partially solarised health centres, conventional grid is present and solar power is used as backup during power cuts.

At present, the number of health centres and district hospitals in Chhattisgarh stands at about 6168, of which solar-powered centres are 1549. Of these, there are 793 PHCs, 469 sub-health centres, 163 community health centres, 26 district hospitals and 98 other hospitals.

The Sustainable Development Goals explicitly state the need for universal health coverage and a robust delivery system. Solarisation of healthcare facilities is geared towards this.

Bhupesh Tiwari, who heads Sathi, a non-profit based in Kondagaon district of Bastar region, said apart from health centres, cold chains also run on solar energy. “The idea is excellent as power is not always available in remote areas. But maintenance is not often made. Sometimes it takes days to repair things once out of order.”

CREDA technician Baliram Nag agreed that in the absence of equipment, repair takes a hit even though workers are present in every block to take care of glitches. Sometimes, the battery dies out. Normally, a battery runs for five years and after that it has to be replaced.

But there are plus points in plenty. Citing the example of Narayanpur district, Tiwari informed that there are only solarised centres in the interiors. “These don’t have cold chains. But solarised health centres have improved vaccination percentage and routine immunisation.”

According to Punita Kumar, programme coordinator, climate change and health, Chhattisgarh State Health Resource Centre, an assessment was carried out on solarised health centres in 2021. Kumar said that 90 percent solarisation has been completed at the PHC level. However, sub health centres still need solar power. “Solar health centres have been a success in remote areas. Nurses felt safe when they had lights due to solar energy. It has helped retain healthcare professionals in rural areas.”

At the Bedre village PHC in Bijapur district’s Bhairamgarh block, institutional delivery takes place. Being located in a densely forested area, solar is a better alternative in this place than the conventional grid though the health centre enjoys both. Bijapur is one of the seven districts which come under the Bastar sub-division.

Ganesh Babu, the medical officer of the Barsur PHC in Dantewada district, said that in case of power cuts, the transition to solar is made. “At night, the PHC uses solar after it is fully charged during the day. About 25-30 deliveries happen at the PHC in a month.”

Rural medical assistant Mohan Kumar Dadsena, who is in charge of a PHC in Kosalnar village of Bijapur district, said like many PHCs, this one enjoys both solar as well as grid power. But it mostly runs on solar. However, sometimes, solar panels fail to charge during the monsoon. During such a time, chargeable lights are kept and mobile light is also used.

Dadsena explained that when the Indravati river swells up during heavy downpour, power failure occurs in many remote villages of Bijapur. “At such a time, there is no guarantee of conventional power connectivity for days.”

Going green

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the 26th United Nations climate summit in Glasgow that India will achieve net zero emissions by 2070. One of the ways to reach this target is going solar.

Though India has set a 500 GW solar target by 2030, there are challenges in this sector. “Silicon cells are still imported from China, at least 90 percent of it,” Jain pointed out. Binit Das, programme manager-renewable energy, Centre for Science and Environment, also emphasised on the supply chain challenges in India’s solar sector and highlighted heavy reliance on imports, echoing Jain’s concerns.

“Components for photovoltaic modules are not manufactured in India. Photovoltaic cell imports have increased by more than 50 percent in the past four years.” “For instance, India depends on imported modules. During the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions in the global solar equipment supply chains caused a significant slowdown in solar project installations,” Das noted.