Rabia Ahad |CRI
Karnah, Kupwara/ “For the first time, I can study at night without worrying about the light going off,” says Aijaz Ahmad, a Class 10 student from Simari who travels to Tangdhar for school and is preparing for his board exams. His words capture the relief spreading through this remote LoC village, located nearly 170 kilometres from Srinagar in the mountainous Karnah Valley, where just about 50 metres of the Kishanganga River separate Simari from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The Indian Army’s Vajr Division, under Operation Sadbhavana, in partnership with Pune-based Aseem Foundation, has brought uninterrupted electricity to all 53 households in Simari through a newly installed solar power project. For the 347 residents of this border village—known as India’s Polling Booth No. 1—electricity was once a luxury, with families forced to rely on kerosene lamps, firewood and dim lights for basic daily activities.
For villagers, the change has been life-altering. Aijaz’s father, a labourer, said that their daily routine was shaped by darkness for years. “Once it became dark, everything stopped. Children couldn’t study, and even charging a phone was difficult. This solar power has changed our life,” he said.
Responding to multiple appeals from the community, the Indian Army and Aseem Foundation installed four solar clusters equipped with high-efficiency panels, inverters and battery banks. The system now provides reliable, round-the-clock electricity despite the region’s harsh winters and rugged terrain. Additionally, households have been provided with LPG connections, reducing dependence on firewood and easing the workload on women.
The project is dedicated to Shaurya Chakra awardee Colonel Santosh Mahadik, who was killed during an anti-terror operation in Kupwara in 2015. His mother, Kalinda Mahadik, is expected to join the Commander of Tangdhar Brigade, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara and Aseem Foundation founder Sarang Gosavi at the inauguration ceremony.
Officials say the initiative reflects the Army’s continuing efforts to support sustainable development in vulnerable border areas. With reliable electricity now lighting their homes, residents of Simari believe the project will open new possibilities in education, livelihood and community progress. Aijaz summed up the village’s sentiment simply: “Now we have light, and we have hope.”
