New Delhi, Feb. 3 -- In many interior villages of Chhattisgarh, solarised healthcare centres serve the needs of rural communities. In these places, either conventional grid electrification is absent due to factors like insurgency and inaccessibility, or else, frequent power failures interrupt services.

The solarisation of public health facilities started around 2000-2001. Gradually, it was linked to the National Rural Health Mission. Sanjeev Jain, who is now retired from the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA), explained the shift in rural electrification, especially in the insurgency-hit Bastar region comprising seven districts. CREDA looks after solar power installation and maintenance throughout the state.

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