Jamshedpur, Dec. 25: Around 1,000 households of seven remote villages in Saranda forest division of West Singhbhum will bid adieu to darkness with the old year.

A Mumbai-based NGO Ecosolutions along with Saranda forest division are lighting up homes in the former rebel hub, around 180km from the steel city, with solar lamps.

In one week, Ecosolutions and the forest department will distribute 1,000 free solar lamps in villages such as Thalkobad, Bitkilsoya, Manoharpur, Baliba, Kumdi and two others, where electricity is still a distant dream.

"Ecosolutions is working towards illuminating households in the tribal areas of Saranda. One of its directors, Yadendra Agrawal, visited these remote places, after which he decided to take the initiative. He approached us for any small contribution we may give for the solar lamp initiative. The solar lamps, which the NGO has purchased, cost Rs 499 each in the open market. So, we decided to contribute Rs 100 towards each while the NGO paid Rs 399," said Saranda divisional forest officer (DFO) Satish Chandra Rai.

He added the consignment came yesterday.

"We will distribute the solar lamps in presence of an NGO representative within a week," said the DFO.

Agrawal said they got a lot of help from DFO Rai.

"We will conduct a survey in Saranda shortly after the distribution is complete to ensure no household has been left out. If any household has not received a lamp, we will supply more," said Agrawal, who has also worked in other places of Jharkhand like Gumla, Koderma and Garu Hills in Ranchi district.

The NGO works to provide low-cost and green-friendly products to the poor, especially in hamlets, across India. In the east, it has worked in Assam and other northeast states.