Creativity Mission is identifying the creative sparks in India. During our research we came across a bright little spot in Gujarat.
Punsari Village in Sabarkantha district!
It is a technologically advanced village which can make all towns jealous. Under the leadership of young Sarpanch Himanshu Bhai Patel this village has made huge achievements. It is a story of a man and his vision transforming lives.
I scheduled a one to one meeting with Himanshu bhai and started for Punsari. Let me share some facts with you.
To start with, the whole village has Wi-Fi connectivity. There are 4 transmission towers to make sure the internet connection is good and working in every nook and corner of the village. All villagers can use the internet free. It is round the clock connectivity with unlimited usage at your hand.
When I reached Punsari, Sarpanch Himanshu Bhai Patel was not at home. His father gave me a warm welcome and demonstrated the Wi-Fi connectivity on his tablet!
It really took me some time to adjust my perception of an Indian village. An old villager was proudly showing me the achievement of his son and the village using the latest technology. It might be an early glimpse of the future India.
Himanshu Patel is just below 30 years, an arts graduate. I spoke to him at length. Grilled him with uncomfortable questions. Why do we need Wi-Fi and other technologies in a small village of about 6000 people? Are there not other priorities like health and sanitation? And many more questions.
He has a clarity of thoughts and approach. He shared his vision and the plan to me. While many outsiders look to the technology part they just don’t get the deeper logic.
His view is: technology is a tool which must be used not for its novelty but its usability. He wants to use the technology to empower the villagers.
In this post let me give you a sense of this village. Why Punsari village is awarded the best village in India!
Apart from Wi-Fi technology, another thing that will attract your attention is public address system. The whole village has these water proof speakers. Sarpanch can talk to the villagers from his office. Any important information can be passed on to the villagers immediately, without calling them at the panchayat ghar. In the morning and evening this system plays bhajans and kirtans (Religious songs) for the villagers.
If that’s not enough, the whole village is also fitted with CCTV cameras! We need this in Mumbai -Delhi and other towns more than anything else. The question is, if a village in the interiors can manage it, why our town planning people can’t achieve this.
Streets are well lighted using the solar panel technology.
We must also appreciate that all these facilities are created by the Punsari Panchayat and resources availbale to it. There is no outside charity or NRI funds involved here.
The village also have its own RO water purification plant, established with an investment of RS 30 lacs. Young village graduates manage it. Villagers get 20 Ltrs of this purified water for a mere Rs 4 at their doorsteps.
The village also has its own local bus service. And a website.
There is much more to this village than just technology. Sarpanch Himanshu Bhai told me, “People get so much enamoured with the technology that they can’t see the deeper plan here.”
I will share the amazing thought process of Sarpanch Himanshu Bhai Patel in my next post soon.
Punsari truly deserves the best village award. What you think? What lesson can our town planning experts learn from this village?
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