Insights
Anti-Dumping Duty may eclipse solar energy potential in rural India
‘Dharnai – Saur Gram’ – the small hamlet in Bihar’s Jehanabad district is indeed a study in progress. For nearly 70 years after independence, the village had remained powerless – figuratively as well as literally. It catapulted into fame about two years ago as India’s first fully solar-powered village. The thatched roofs and meandering roads of the village have been dotted with solar panels since. Whether Dharnai will continue to shine bright or descend into darkness once again depends to a large extent on the government’s decision regarding implementation of Anti Dumping Duty (ADD) on imported solar panels. The decision is also likely to have wide ramifications on the 5,000-odd villages and 240 million people in India that are still bereft of access to electricity.
Today, the demand for energy security is more urgent than ever before. Research has shown that access to affordable and quality power is closely related to development, especially in the rural milieu. It leads to increased productivity in agriculture, rising employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, improvement in children’s education; delivery of health services; public safety through lighting; access to means of communication such radio, television, mobile, etc. The benefits of energy security are wide-ranging.