Indian Army sets up solar power plant in North Sikkim border village

Gangtok, Jan 5 (PTI) Indian Army's Trishakti Corps has installed a 10-KW solar power plant at Muguthang village, located at an altitude of around 15,000 feet near the India-China border in North Sikkim, an official statement said on Monday.

The initiative aligns with the Centre’s Vibrant Villages Programme and aims to improve the quality of life in remote border areas by ensuring a reliable and sustainable power supply, it said.

According to the press release, the plant has provided electricity to all households in the village, enabling year-round habitation, improving night-time safety, enhancing connectivity and eliminating the need for seasonal migration during the harsh winter months.

Muguthang is a sparsely populated border village with 32 residents from 10 families.

Earlier, due to the absence of a dependable power supply, villagers relied on small personal solar panels and were compelled to migrate for nearly five to six months each year, leaving behind homes and livestock.

Recognising this hardship, Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army engaged closely with the local community and implemented a sustainable energy solution to ensure basic electrification. The project has significantly improved living conditions and overall community well-being, the statement added. PTI COR MNB