Kandramanickam, a village with a population of 6,325 in Sivaganga district, might be on its way to become a smart village. It has been adopted by an Indian American in San Diego, California, in an initiative by the Ahmedabad-based trade consulting firm Global Network.
A questionnaire was distributed among villagers for a preliminary study at Kandramanickam.
So far, 62 villages in 19 States have been adopted by Indian Americans
As many as 62 villages in the country, including six in Tamil Nadu, have been adopted by Indian Americans under the Smart Village programme of Global Network.
“When I met Indian Americans during the Mentor on Road project in the U.S., I suggested that if each of them can adopt a village in India and share their technical knowledge, my company will work in those places and turn these into smart villages in 1,000 days. So far, 62 villages in 19 States have been adopted by as many Indian Americans,” said Jagat Shah, CEO of the consulting company.
The villages selected have a population of less than 10,000 and are mostly the home towns of those who have adopted these places. Funding for the development works will be through Corporate Social Responsibility projects of companies that are located close to these villages and through local bodies and Government schemes.
Initially, a status report of each village is prepared based on 70 parameters. When the Indian Americans visit India, they are requested to take part in a primary survey of the village they have adopted and know the requirements and challenges.
The local students and youth are also involved in this exercise to list out the “pain points” in their village.
An action plan is devised to address issues on priority.
“We have prepared the status report for 22 villages. Many Indian Americans visit India in December – January. The primary survey will be taken up during their visit,” he added.
Explaining how the project will work, Mr. Shah said that in one of the villages in Gujarat, a 25-day campaign was taken up against plastics. In order to reuse the plastic collected, the NRI suggested reusing it to construct toilets and suggested a technology for it. This is being tried out.
In Tamil Nadu, the places selected are Chinnalapatti (Dindigul District), Pudukkottai (Ariyalur District), Parumbu kottai (Thoothukudi district), Perumapalayam (Erode District), Karaichuthuputhur (Tirunelveli district), and Kandramanickam (Sivaganga District). Some of the areas that will be addressed are: providing energy through renewable sources, looking at smokeless cooking fuel options, and installing bio gas generators.
Article Source: The Hindu