Ten disaster-affected villages of Rudraprayag district are not dependent on the erratic power supplies of the State electricity department now, the streets of these villages are being lighted up by solar panel systems. These panels were installed in these villages by the HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. Informing the media persons about the project on Monday, the Member of Executive Management and Head Corporate Rural and Agri Business of the company Anuj Tyagi said that the company decided to do something different for the disaster affected. It found that the electric supplies were worst affected by the disaster so the company undertook the project which has benefitted 415 households in 10 villages. “With the implementation of solar panel systems project we are now going to focus on other CSR projects in the state like dairy development and spice cultivation’’ he added. Tyagi said that the HDFC ERGO has always been proactive in the initiatives that are aimed at improving the living conditions for humans. The company was helped by Appropriate Technology India (AT India) for the project which covers ten villages namely Jagai, Fegu, Barmari, Fahali, Pasalat, Lamgondi, Dewali, Bhanigram, Sirwani and Pithora of Ukhimath block of Rudraprayag district. The Executive Director of AT India, KN Badoni said that his organization is working in Uttarakhand from the year 1994 and at present is operational in five districts of Uttarkashi, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli and Rudraprayag. He said that the organisation focused on employment generation to ensure early recovery in wake of the unprecedented disaster which struck the state in June last year. Badoni informed that AT India is providing earning opportunities to the villagers by providing support for dairy, organic honey production and sericulture. He said that AT India is providing support to 1050 self help groups in the field of sericulture and every help from production to marketing is provided by the organisation, similarly 4,000 households are benefitted by the honey production. One of the beneficiaries Hemwati Devi said that the solar panels are helping the villagers as the streets are lighted and they are feeling safer now. Another woman beneficiary Sarita Devi said that the people in her village are not dependent on the power department for the street lights now.