A remote border village in northern Kashmir has been electrified for the first time through a solar energy project.
Simari, a village of 53 homes in Karnah Valley near the Line of Control with Pakistan, now has access to uninterrupted electricity and clean cooking fuel as part of a joint initiative by the Indian Army and Pune-based nonprofit Aseem Foundation.
The solar electrification system, completed earlier this month, covers all households through four independent micro-grids equipped with solar panels, inverters, and batteries. Each home has also been supplied with LED lighting and basic electrical outlets. In parallel, residents received LPG cooking connections and gas stoves, replacing their long dependence on firewood and kerosene.
The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps coordinated the installation with logistical support, while engineers from Aseem Foundation trained local villagers to maintain the new systems.
The project, carried out under the Army’s Operation Sadbhavana outreach program, has been dedicated to the memory of Colonel Santosh Mahadik, an Indian Army officer killed in combat in 2015.
Col Mahadik, a recipient of the Shaurya Chakra, was killed in an anti-terror operation in Kupwara district in 2015. Known for his leadership in high-altitude operations and his rapport with communities in Kashmir, Mahadik served as a commanding officer in the 41 Rashtriya Rifles unit.
His mother, along with senior Army and civil officials, is set to visit Simari to formally inaugurate the solar system in a solemn ceremony.
Located near the first polling booth in the country’s electoral map, Simari has symbolic significance in India’s democratic and security landscape. Half the original village lies across the border in Pakistan-administered territory, with the current settlement surrounded by high ridgelines and prone to harsh winters and limited connectivity.
The solar electrification effort is part of a broader push by the Indian Army to bring basic services to underserved populations in border regions. Officials said more such projects are likely in other villages along the Line of Control.
Aritra Banerjee is a military author & defence columnist