It’s Aseem Foundation Again with Indian Army Illuminating Simari Village with Solar Power and Clean Energy
Suhail Khan
Simari, a border village that is also India’s first polling booth village, is located in the Karnah Valley of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has been fully electrified for the first time since Independence.
Thanks to Aseem Foundation, a Pune-based NGO, in collaboration with the Army’s Vajr Division under the aegis of the Chinar Corps, this village, which consists of 53 households, is now fully electrified and LPG-enabled.
“It’s a joy, it’s happiness, and it’s again independence as we received electricity for the first time in our village,” said the village head, expressing his emotions with tears of joy while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
He said, “Now our children will benefit more from this initiative; their education will not be affected. It feels like our decade-long wish has finally been fulfilled. We are so grateful to Aseem Foundation, especially the president of the organization, Sarang Gosavi, for putting smiles on our sad faces. We are still having a hard time believing that this dream has come true.”
Another villager expressed, “I cannot even express my happiness now that we have received electricity supply for the very first time. We are incredibly happy. Before this, we residents had to face many difficulties, especially our children, who had to study by torchlight at night in the absence of power.”
“Most of the challenges we faced were during the night without even a single light. I am 81 years old and have never seen electric lights in my entire lifetime. Today, I am really happy to see light, at least for my future generation. I am truly thankful to Aseem Foundation and the Indian Army for bringing smiles to our faces with this initiative, as we can now see electricity for the first time.”
Situated along the Line of Control, with one half of the village located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Simari holds deep strategic and democratic importance, serving as Polling Booth No. 1 of India. Until now, the villagers struggled with limited power and primitive cooking facilities.
“This project has transformed 53 households with solar microgrids and clean cooking LPG kits, significantly improving the quality of life,” said Sarang Gosavi, President of Aseem Foundation.
He added, “The initiative is dedicated to the memory of Col. Santosh Mahadik, a Shaurya Chakra and Sena Medal recipient, who laid down his life in service to the nation.”
Gosavi also highlighted the innovative use of a power limiter in the project, which ensures equality and cost-effectiveness for the villagers while promoting sustainable energy usage.
In a solemn tribute, Col. Mahadik’s mother, Mrs. Kalinda Mahadik, together with Commander Tangdhar Brigade and Mr. Sarang Gosavi, Founder and Managing Director of Aseem Foundation, jointly inaugurated the solar electrification system.
Meanwhile, the Army, in a statement issued to Kashmir Despatch, said that “Chinar Corps, in cooperation with the Aseem Foundation, through its sustained efforts in rural electrification, clean energy adoption, and community development, has been playing a vital role in empowering border communities across Jammu and Kashmir.”
Earlier, Aseem Foundation established similar solar grid projects in remote villages such as Gagar Hill, Jabri, Sumwali, Chutali, Refugee-1, and Refugee-2 in Gurez Valley.
Suhail Khan is a filmmaker, content writer, and freelance journalist.
