The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the country’s premier agency for rescue missions in the time of disasters, will now be equipped with portable solar lamps designed by self-help women's groups of Ranchi.

The district administration has signed an MoU with NDRF for supplying these lamps as part of which a consignment of 4,000 was handed over to NDRF on Thursday.

Speaking to the media on Thursday, Ranchi deputy commissioner Chhavi Ranjan said the slef-help groups would be givingout close to 40,000 lamps to NDRF gradually. “Lamps made in Ranchi will illuminate disaster hit sites of the country,” he said, adding that NDRF would distribute the lamps to its camps across the country based on requirements.

Ranjan said the project was launched in 2018 as a part of a skilling and livelihood mission wherein women self-help groups were trained to make LED solar lamps under a scheme titled "Ranchi ki Roshni". A full-fledged workshop has been set up in Ormanjhi on capital outskirts to make these lamps.

“Around two dozen women are engaged in manufacturing lamps right from assembling LEDs to fixing wires and packaging the final product,” said an official at the workshop. “Each lamp is priced at around Rs 160,” he said, adding that they have also begun selling them in the open market and were receiving a good response.

The district administration, however, has supplied the lamps to NDRF fee of cost, the deputy commissioner said.

“The project is being sustained through CSR funds of IOCL and HPCL. For making the lamps, members of women's self-help groups get a nominal remuneration at the workshop. However, we are now focusing on creating a dedicated market to sell these lamps by setting up kiosks in the city so that the women's groups can become economically independent,” he said.

The project, Ranchi ki Roshni, was originally conceptualised in 2018 by My Shelter Foundation and a group of IITians in 2018 while they were pursuing internship with the district administration for providing a cheap source of lighting for the poor. They developed LED bulbs, micro-solar panels and a battery to provide low- cost solutions.

Later, the district administration adopted the model and women's goups were trained in the capital. The concept was also applauded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Ranchi at the time.