HERMAA Smart Tribal Village of Tripura

Highlights - Solar Based• Lighting Solution• Drinking Water Solution• Improved Sanitation

NB Institute for Rural Technology

Catalyzed & Supported byDepartment of Science & TechnologyMinistry of Science & TechnologyGovernment of India

Herma has been an untouched, remote tribal village of West Tripura district. The NBIRT team has located this village of 100 habitant families. It has been a village

without proper hygienic system for drinking water facilities and toilet use. People were unaware of the benefits of cleanliness and thus suffered from several water borne diseases because of their ignorance. The tribal houses didn’t have light during day and night in their homes.

With the intervention of Core group Scientists and field workers, NBIRT has developed a unique technological solution to provide water for drinking and sanitation in remote villages through Solar power operated Micro Pump and water purification system. The Institute has also developed Micro Solar Dome (Patented) to provide 24 x 7 lighting solution for remote tribal areas where conventional power is not available or very unreliable.

Running water solution in the Herma village-The technology: Technology behind this scheme is to use Micro Solar Pump and water

purifier coupled with an intelligent Controller.The first priority of the intelligent controller would be to pump water on

the roof top from the water source. The stored water with pressure is then used for running water in the

toilets and as an inlet to the water purifier (own development of NBIRT) to provide safe drinking water.

When the tank is filled up then the intelligent controller diverts the electricity from the panels to the water purifier system. The purifier works without any external power source. It has a special storing system. Thus solar energy is stored in the form of purified water.

Success Story of HERMA Village through S&T intervention by CORE group

Lighting Solution

Drinking Water Solution

Improved Sanitation

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THEIR PARTICIPATIONThe entire water supply system (both drinking water and running water in the toilet) of Herma village is maintained by local people through three Green Workers (Sabuj Karmi). The green workers clean the toilets regularly with the available water and they also collect the drinking water from Solar RO and distribute the water to all houses two times in a day. The community pays Rs.30/- per month per family regularly for getting such services.

Shri Manik Sarkar, Chief Minister of Tripura, inaugurating Herma Smart Village in June 2017

When the water collected from water purifier is completed than it will divert the electricity obtained from the Panels to charge the battery.

The toilets are lit up by Micro Solar Dome, another innovative lighting device developed by NBIRT. The Micro Solar Dome (MSD) is a day and night lighting single device unique in its features, that has a transparent semi-spherical upper dome made of acrylic material which captures the sunlight and the light passes through a sun-tube having a thin layer of highly reflective coating on the inner wall of the passage. It also contains a lower dome made of acrylic. There is a shutter in the bottom of the lower dome which can be closed, if light is not required in the daytime. The integrated PV module fitted in the dome charges a battery during day time which in turn provides light during night time from the MSD for about 4 hrs through LED fitted in the lower dome. It is leak proof and works throughout the day and 4 hours continuously after sunset.

The innovation through three community toilets having MSDs installed upon the rooftops today gives them light in the day as well as night time. This has given the facility to use the toilets in late nights and even in immense rain safely for the women and children who previously used to walk miles to seek privacy. There used to be fear of wild animals to attack and other criminals to assault the women and the children in the darkness. Apart from this, it has certainly improved the lifestyle of the villagers where the children learning about hygiene and health at school can today implement them in their own village.

FUTUREToday safe drinking water and clean and hygienic toilets with light inside the toilets and their households have changed the lives of the people in Herma showing the pathway to an easy and better life. Likewise the Chief Minister of Tripura, Mr. Manik Sarkar has appreciated the effort of NBIRT and the new life of the villagers. He announced launching of such programmes in at least one village of each of the 54 blocks of the state.

Since 1981, Herma village of the Sepahijala District had the facility of Solar Pump and Solar Lamp. Herma was first in conceiving this. 200W solar power was generated since then. Presently, 18000 MW solar power is generated here. Herma today has 24 hours running water in the toilets and safe drinking water with solar power to get light even in the night time. Young villagers are working as “Sabuj Sathi” who get Re.1 per day per family and get their income on monthly basis. People enjoy the service of benefit through this.

Chief Minister of Tripura, Mr. Manik Sarkar, announced Herma village with 100 tribal families of the Charilam Block to be the ideal village. With the support of Arka-neer, Department of Science and Technology has tried to provide 24 hours safe drinking water and running water to the toilets with proper recycling of the waste ma-terials and daylight and nightlight through solar power. At 1981, this tribal village was the first village in India that had irrigation facilities and an office set up by Solar Power.

The small tribal village of Tripura namely Herma has been an epitome of advancement amongst the other villages across the country. Department of Science and Technology , Government of India, has supported Arkaneer,Tripura to improvise he tribal village. 1981, this tribal village was the first village in India that had irrigation facilities and an office set up by Solar Power. In Today a spectacular change has been set up in Herma. Today the same village has been im-proved with computer training centres, betterment in sanitation and has households. Training campaigns will be held in Arkaneer in the coming years. This project was visited by the CM of Tripura,Mr. Manik Sarkar. He advised that the next 54 blocks should also follow the footsteps of Herma Smart Village.