Impact of Electrification on Rural and Village Life

Current scenario of electrification in rural Nepal

Electricity is the most versatile form of energy in this present world as it yields numerous advantages compared to the other forms of energy. It is utilized in one way or another in most of the daily human activities and has become a key infrastructure of the development of a nation. Utilization of electrical energy has made our lives easier as all of the electrical appliances are designed to perform our tasks in the most efficient manner possible.

However, it is estimated that approximately two billion people do not have access to electricity and depend on the conventional sources of energy such as firewood, charcoal, agriculture residues, etc. for cooking and heating purpose. This has resulted in increased deforestation in the developing countries which has raised a serious concern for environmental degradation.

Why is it so difficult to provide the rural areas with electricity then? It is because there are some complex factors that influence the rural electrification process in a direct or an indirect manner. The electricity utilities view the process of supplying electricity as a profit oriented process instead of a welfare oriented process. In most of the cases, supplying electricity to rural areas requires high investment but yields a low profit. This is one of the major reasons as to why the utilities try to confine their service to the urban and suburban areas.

One of the many reasons as to why rural electrification is a difficult process is the fact that an electrification grid requires transportation and installation of heavy electrical equipment to the rural areas which in turn requires an efficient form of transportation and communication medium both of which may be underdeveloped in rural areas.

People in rural areas are still unaware of the numerous benefits of electricity and still rely on the conventional sources of energy for heating and cooking purpose. The conventional sources of energy such as firewood are responsible for increased indoor pollution and this, in turn, increases the probability of various respiratory diseases which primarily affect women as they are confined to the household tasks. People (mostly women and children) spend some time in gathering the firewood which may have been utilized in doing some other productive tasks. The absence of electricity also results in poor lighting in rural households and people do not have access to numerous information and entertainment sources both of which are required to uplift their social status.

Lack of electricity in rural areas has also made it difficult to establish good educational and medical institutions which result in poor literacy rate and health services respectively. All of these issues affect the whole process of rural electrification thereby making it time-consuming. Thus, though electricity is the most versatile form of energy, it is likely to be unavailable for general purposes in the rural households of the developing countries in the foreseeable future.

Benefits of electrification in rural areas

Some of the benefits of electricity in rural households are described briefly as follows.

1. Provision of electricity to rural households enables the villagers to gain access to some efficient forms of telecommunication. They will, therefore, have better access to information through televisions, radios, computers, and internet, telephones, etc.
2. The schools and other education institutions can use computers, projectors, DVD players, photocopy machines, fax machines, fans and various other electrical appliances which can make the whole teaching-learning process more efficient and interactive.
3. The health institutions can employ various bio-medical instruments such as CT scanners, MRI scanners, etc. to provide better health services.
4. Some efficient form of transportation such as cable cars can be established to improve the transportation options. The farmers will be able to export their products and business ventures can also be established which advertises and increases the consumption of rural products.
5. The efficiency of electric cooking is about 52% (compared to firewood and kerosene having an efficiency of 8% and 47% respectively). Use of electricity for cooking results in reduced dependency on firewood. This results in reduced indoor pollution reduced deforestation and also saves the time of women and children which could otherwise have been utilized to do some other tasks.
6. Provision of electricity helps the business ventures in rural areas to expand their business by employing efficient electrical appliances and equipment. This increases employment opportunities and therefore promotes the economic growth of rural societies.
7. Provision of electricity also enables rural societies to establish clean and hygienic drinking water supply system which reduces various water borne diseases and improves the health standard of rural people.
8. The lighting system is also improved as electricity replaces diesel generators, kerosene lamps, and candles. This, in turn, reduces the emission of harmful gases in the atmosphere. Also, due to reduced demand for firewood, the deforestation rate is also decreased and afforestation programmes along with various environment conservation programmes can be carried out to maintain a clean environment.
9. Availability of electricity enables the villagers to gain access to better and modern forms of entertainment such as televisions, cinemas, restaurants, etc. It also facilitates the establishment of financial institutions thereby creating opportunities for saving and credit.
10. Night classes for adults can be started to increase the literacy rate of the rural societies. This is a small step towards the whole process of modernization and abolishment of social problems and social evils.

Note: This note article was prepared on the basis of class notes and the handouts provided by my subject teacher Mr. Gopal Joshi Subedi.