Pune Colonel's efforts lights up the village of Komic

The residents of Komic, a small village situated at 15,000 ft in Himachal Pradesh suffered constant power cuts. Even though the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board had stretched power lines, at great expense, over high mountains to this hamlet, the power supply would shutdown for most of the time due to sub-zero temperatures.

This was when Sunil Chauhan, the founder of Ecosphere, an NGO based in Spiti in Himachal Pradesh contacted city-based Col Vivek Mundkur after reading about his windmill work on Facebook. Chauhan had travelled to Bengaluru and Puducherry and visited a few manufacturers, but they had quoted a huge amount for the installation.

“Chauhan felt the need of a windmill there, as he has seen the place for 15 long years and the hydropower electricity generators used in the area. During winters, the water there freezes putting the generator out of service. By the time it is repaired, the winter arrives again keeping the people devoid of electricity for most of the year,” informs Mundkur, a mechanical engineer.

The Col assembled his team of ex-servicemen which included Capt Afzal Amdani and Gautam Deshmukh, who joined him at Manali for the trip to Spiti Valley. “We decided to install a 1,400 watt wind-solar hybrid windmill atop Komic monastery, which is the highest monastery in Spiti,” says Mundkur, who made his first windmill for his farm house in Kudje village near Khadakwasla.

The Lamas at the monastery became solar engineers overnight, helping to connect solar panels, windmill and batteries to 60 LED lamps in the village. Another innovation by Mundkur, the pedal generator was attached to a battery so that the lamas could use it for workout and charge the batteries at the same time, to light up the main temple and kitchen.

Mundkur, who has also made a windmill for an orphanage in Gujarat, adds, “The windmill was installed with enthusiasm. The Buddhist mantra Om Mani Padme Hum was painted on the blades by Thanka painter, Lama Thukten and other volunteers.”

He adds, “Like the traditional Tibetan prayer wheel, the windmill now rotates and spreads positive energy into the surroundings, pushing positive electrons into the batteries. The Lamas have promised to pedal for at least 10 min before each prayer and each meal.”

“Komic is perhaps the highest human habitation in the world to be electrified in this way. We have applied for the Guinness Book of World Records, but the process might take a month. The installation, which cost only Rs4 lakh, was a symbolic victory for decentralised electric supply,” smiles Mundkur.