In pics: A journey through Bihar to gauge state's electrification drive

Business Standard takes you to villages of Saran, Supaul and Araria districts in Bihar to assess the change that has come in the past three years

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Solar power plant at Bheldi village in Bihar's Saran district is run by Development Alternatives and Smart Power India promoted energy supply company TARAurja. The 37.5 kilowatt plant runs on a hybrid model with biogas and diesel gensets as back-up. ALSO READ: A grid that not just powers but integrates rural India ALSO READ: A grid that not just powers but integrates rural India

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Kanhai Kumar manages bio-gas plant of Grassroots Energy at Bheldi. For every 50 drums of cow dung, Rs 1000 worth cattle feed is given in exchange. ALSO READ: People's movement lights up rural households

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Solar power run irrigation facility waters vegetable plants at Chakai village in Jokihat area of Araria, Bihar

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Bhalo Devi who runs a biomass plant, switches on the power supply from solar panels and operates machines and gasifiers at Mahalgaon in Araria district, Bihar. She works for DESI Power run by SN Sharan popularly known as Buluji. ALSO READ: People's movement lights up rural households

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Packaged water produced from TARAurja's RO plant

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A boat that acts as lifeline to transport men, material and animals at sunset anchored at one of the spurs of Koshi in Supaul, Bihar. The boatman charges Rs 5 a person for every trip.

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“It is not the flood, which over the years we know how to deal with, but land denudation that is the bane of this river,” says the boat man at Khokhananaha as he gets help from two children to empty water that seeped into his boat. ALSO READ: Bihar electrification drive involves crossing rivers and fixing bills ALSO READ: Bihar electrification drive involves crossing rivers and fixing bills

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A boat that acts as lifeline to transport men, material and animals at sunset anchored at one of the spurs of Koshi in Supaul, Bihar. The boatman charges Rs 5 a person for every trip.

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A boat that acts as lifeline to transport men, material and animals at sunset anchored at one of the spurs of Koshi in Supaul, Bihar. The boatman charges Rs 5 a person for every trip.

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Solar power plant built on a stilt above the highest flood level at Khokhananaha village inside Kosi river in Bihar's Supaul district ALSO READ: A grid that not just powers but integrates rural India

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A house with solar power connection at Khokhananaha village inside the Kosi river

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Solar power plant built on a stilt above the highest flood level at Khokhananaha village inside Kosi river in Bihar's Supaul district

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Solar power plant built on a stilt above the highest flood level at Khokhananaha village inside Kosi river in Bihar's Supaul district

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TARAurja runs a RO water purifier plant at Bheldi.

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TARAurja's Narinder Abrol with 26-year-old Hariram Pandey, who buys solar power for his carpentry shop. Pandey shows the mobile application through which billing and customer service is done. ALSO READ: People's movement lights up rural households ALSO READ: People's movement lights up rural households

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Cow dung diluted with water is put into the balloon chambers for production of methane that generates power ALSO READ: Bihar electrification drive involves crossing rivers and fixing bills