Grid power to reach 12 remote Uttarakhand villages near China border

For the first time since Independence, 12 remote migratory villages in Uttarakhand's Johar Valley near the India-China border will get grid electricity. The Uttarakhad Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) began laying power lines on January 26 and plans to connect all villages by March next year.

The Rs 21-crore project covers a 61km stretch and will serve settlements including Milam, Laspa, and Martoli. Two villages, Rasgadi and Bugdiyar, with a combined seasonal population of about 180, were to be electrified by August 15, but a landslide on July 30 uprooted eight poles, delaying the rollout.

Residents and ITBP personnel currently rely on kerosene, solar lanterns, and small diesel generators. ‘We have been demanding electricity for a long time. The project, along with road connectivity, could put the region on the tourist map,’ said Shriram Singh Dharmshaktu, president of Malla Johar Vikas Samiti.