One man’s solar dream lighting up Manipur’s remotest corners

As the sun dips behind the remote hills of Manipur, life in many villages once slipped into darkness.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

Women finished their chores early, children struggled to study under kerosene lamps, and health workers relied on noisy diesel generators to attend to emergencies.

But in recent years, the quiet glow of solar lamps has begun to change that story. At the centre of this transformation is Seth Moirangthem, a 38-year-old from Imphal East district.

His startup, SNL Energy Solutions Ltd, has brought clean, affordable electricity to thousands of households scattered across the state's remote hilly areas and to the fishing communities living on the islands in the Loktak lake in Bishnupur district.

“Back in 2015, while travelling to Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Senapati, I realised how people struggled without access to power,” Seth recalled.

“That was also when I met people associated with the Selco Foundation in Bengaluru, and the idea of solar energy solutions struck me,” he told PTI.

Seth, an Arts graduate from Manipur University, said he was provided technical training by the Selco Foundation.