Mumbai, July 28 -- Thenhi village in Dhamtari district has become the first in the district to host a community solar plant installed under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The installation comprises a 142 kilowatt (kW) solar plant that has been configured to supply free electricity to 71 families, reducing household electricity expenses while widening access to clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuel generation. The district administration described the project as a community-led step towards decentralised renewable generation and local energy resilience.
The Dhamtari district administration said the project is aimed at promoting energy self-reliance through community-based infrastructure and supporting sustainable rural development. The Dhamtari collector, Abinash Mishra, indicated that the Thenhi initiative marks an initial phase and that the administration plans to install community solar plants in 25 more villages across the district as part of a broader rural electrification strategy. Implementation will be overseen by local authorities.
Additional Collector Indra Naveen Singh said around 72 families are expected to benefit and that free electricity will improve the quality of life for beneficiary households while aiding the village transition towards energy self-reliance. The administration portrayed the Thenhi model as an example intended to encourage replication in other rural settlements, noting that community ownership and local operation could reduce dependence on conventional supply and lower recurring costs for households. Local committees and officials will oversee day-to-day operation and basic upkeep to ensure continuity of supply.
The programme in Thenhi aligns with national efforts to expand distributed renewable capacity and to demonstrate practical models for community energy management. Officials signalled that lessons from the plant will inform deployment and maintenance practices for upcoming projects and that scaling community solar could contribute to reliable rural power and greener development paths across the district. Authorities said monitoring of the Thenhi installation will inform technical and operational choices for the roll out.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.