Impact of Solar Street Lights on Wellbeing of Rural Communities in North-Eastern Region of India

About 366 Solar LED Street Lights were installed in four villages of Golaghat district of Assam using Corporate Social Responsibility funds of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL). After a year of installations, assessment of impacts was conducted. NRL, TERI and the villages worked in close coordination to maintain the functionality of the installed street lights. This initiative impacted positively on the overall well-being of the villages. Easy movement during evening hours and rainy days, reduced elephant attacks and snake bite incidents, improved sense of security among women and children, contribution towards power for all, and savings on conventional electricity were the prominent benefits of the Solar LED Street Lights. A strong sense of ownership among the community towards the security of the Solar Street Lights was observed during the investigation. Considering the benefits of the Solar Street Lights on the community, similar initiatives may be replicated for other villages as well.