Uneducated farmer uses windmill to light up home

Times of India

While the state government is worrying about the shortage of electricity, an illiterate farmer near Naragund, in Gadag district, has uninterrupted power supply for his family. He has no magic wand, but an indigenous windmill installed in his fields for the past six years. Siddappa Huljogi, 46, has been successful in carrying out experiments like setting up a mobile recharging unit using a tractor battery, and playing radio and tape recorder using a bicycle's dynamo. A resident of Bandemmana Nagar, 7km from Naragund, which has hardly 8-10 houses, he was denied a Hescom connection over a decade ago. That made Huljogi think about other sources of electricity.

Besides, windmills installed on the hills of Naragund had got him thinking: if he could replicate them, he would have power. 

Siddappa told TOI he started an experiment in 2008. "In the beginning, we could switch on lights at the windmill, but the house was 50-60m from the mill. After repeated efforts, I was successful in 2009. Now, we get sufficient power for two CFL bulbs of 11 W each, a colour television and a mixer. When the wind speed is slow, we reduce usage."

Siddappa's wife Bheemavva said their home got a Hescom connection six months ago. "When our windmill was rooted out by a storm, we took this connection as an alternative. As we are producers of electricity, we use it very cautiously," she added. Son Naganand said Siddappa was also successful in generating power through a water mill, erected in a nearby stream, in 2011.

Siddappa claimed he bought three new metal sheets for the windmill and an inverter of 600 W.

Shantalinga Swami of Doreswamy Virakta Mutt in nearby Bhairanahatti village, who has been observing Siddappa for the past 15 years, said though he is illiterate, he has a good grasp and power of observation.