Diwali gift: Surat diamond baron makes native village totally solar-powered
The Dholakia family, owners of Shree Ram Krishna Exports diamond manufacturing firm in Gujarat, has gifted solar panel rooftops to around 850 families in their native village Dudhala in the Amreli district. This makes Dudhala the first village in India to become 100% solar-powered without any government subsidy. The project was carried out by Shree Ram Krishna Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with Goldi Solar.
Village to produce total 276.5 kW energy
Of the total 300 properties in the village, solar power plants were installed at 232 houses, shops, and other buildings which amount to a total of 276.5 kilowatts. Solar plants, however, have not been installed on some buildings that remain closed year-round. The total cost of the project was reportedly Rs. 2 crore, according to The Times of India.
Proposal to west Gujarat discom after survey
A survey gauging the electricity consumption of Dudhala along with a geographic and technical assessment was carried out earlier. After that, a formal proposal was made to the State Discom Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) for the purchase of electricity. The electricity generated by the solar plants would also be fed into the grid operated by the discom, reported The Hindu Business Line.
Project finalized after Sri Ram Krishna Exports founder's liver transplant
Falling under the Saurashtra region, the Dudhala village reportedly has a population of around 1,500-2,000, which mainly depends on cotton, soybean, and groundnut farming. Notably, Govind Dholakia—the founder of Sri Ram Krishna Exports—underwent a successful liver transplant last year, following which this development project was finalized as a Diwali gift, said Ishver Dholakia, Govind's nephew and managing director of Goldi Solar.
Govind's nephew gifted 600 cars to employees
To recall, Savji Dholakia, the owner of Hare Krishna Exports diamond company and another nephew of Govind, made headlines in 2018 when he gifted 600 cars to his employees on Diwali. The company's diamond polishers received the Maruti Celerio and Maruti Alto as a reward, while some employees were given flats and fixed deposits under a Skill India Incentive Ceremony, The Indian Express reported.
