Electricity reaches Adivasi hamlets in Raigad district

THANE: Three Adivasi tribal hamlets namely Hondawadi, Satyawadi and Dhangarwadi of Alibaug taluka in Raigad district, located about 125 km from Mumbai on a hillock, with no motorable roads, received electricity connections recently.

Though the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) had set up a transformer at the base of the hillock a few years ago, cables could not be laid due to non-availability of permission from the forest department and these hamlets with a population of about 900, remained without electricity since Independence.

Recently, the forest department gave clearance to lay cables after persistent follow-ups by Peasants' and Worker's Party (PWP) MLC Jayant Patil.

Due to the absence of proper roads, the sick, old people and pregnant women were being ferried in a palanquin to take them to a dispensary, located far away from these hamlets.

For the record, there are several such tribal hamlets in Melghat (Amravati) and Nandurbar in Vidarbha which are yet to be provided with electricity.