Rajasthan  state administration is planning to establish smart villages, on the pattern of the smart cities. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay will be a partner in this venture.

The ambitious plan calls for the development of play areas, street lighting, and garbage collection in over 10,000 GramPanchayat heads across the state.

The administration intends to make extensive use of solar energy to light up rural communities, and solar panels will be erected at panchayat headquarters as a result. 

It would power street lights, as supplying conventional power to remote settlements is a massive undertaking for the government.

According to an official, the government has decided to enlist the help of IIT Bombay for the smart village project. The solar project will receive technical assistance from IIT Bombay. 

IIT Bombay will provide technical help for installation, maintenance, and repair, according to officials.

“Rajasthan has abundant sunlight throughout the year to generate solar energy, and harnessing this solar energy is the state’s way ahead in rural electrification,” one official said.

The project’s action plan is now being prepared by the rural development and panchayat raj department. Who will pay for the project, though, is still uncertain.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, a rural MP and union minister from Jaipur, has already started a campaign in this direction in his parliamentary area. 

In the next two years, he claims, all of the villages in his area will have  playgrounds, as well as lights for night-time play in selected communities. He intends to hold sporting events throughout the year.

Content writer: Nishant Mishra

  development, IIT Bombay, smart village