62 leper slum dwellings of the city’s Jeevan Deep Kusht Ashram in R K Puram area receive solar panel, 12W fan, two LED bulbs, and battery with mobile charging facility, under a CSR initiative.

Residents of New Delhi’s Kushth Rog Ashram will now be able to illuminate their homes using solar power. Inaugurated by Delhi’s Lt Governor Anil Baijal and organised by New Delhi Lok Sabha MP Meenakashi Lekhi, 62 leper slum dwellings of the city’s Jeevan Deep Kusht Ashram in R K Puram area have received a solar kit that consists of solar panel, 12W fan, two LED bulbs, and battery with mobile charging facility, under a CSR initiative. The programme coincided with the Modi government’s completion of four-years at the centre last Saturday.

“Smart governance requires the application of sustainable solutions that can lift up deprived sections of the society economically and emotionally, and motivate them to strive for a better future. It also requires leaders to think out of the box for finding solutions that take up fewer resources for maximising social benefits, and at the same time protect our environment. Such steps will enable us to meet the commitments India has made at the 2015 Paris Climate Accord,” Baijal said at the inauguration.

Lekhi said, “The residents of the ashram have been faced with electricity bills that they could not afford to pay on account of their low levels of income. They are also burdened by a pending liability of Rs 8 lakh. When they approached us, we suggested a sustainable solution in the form of solar electrification.”

She added that solar electrification will enable the residents of the ashram to significantly reduce their expenditure on power. They will also have assured continued access to electricity. The initiative will enable them to live a more comfortable and economically fulfilling life.

“I am overwhelmed by the feeling of contentment that this first solar basti in Delhi, Kushth Rog Ashram at R K Puram will light up lives of those who have been left out of the mainstream. I am grateful to Hon’ble LG of Delhi for inaugurating this project on the occasion of completion of four years of Modi government.”