Kasheli to Become Maharashtra’s First Village Fully Powered by Solar Energy
Kasheli to Become Maharashtra’s First Village Fully Powered by Solar Energy
Kasheli, a village in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district, is set to enter the record books as Maharashtra’s first village to run entirely on solar energy. Famous for the historic Kanakaditya Sun Temple, Kasheli is now taking on a new identity as a model for sustainable living.
The project is being implemented under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Yojana. In the first phase, half of the households will start using solar power, with complete coverage expected soon after. A detailed survey by the district administration has mapped every household, shop, temple, school, Anganwadi, and government building. Kasheli has 616 homes, 965 families, 7 temples, 5 schools, 6 Anganwadis, and 3 government offices — all of which will eventually rely only on solar energy.
Each home will be equipped with rooftop solar panels, making the village self-reliant in power generation. To ease the transition, the government is providing subsidies of ₹30,000 for 1 kW, ₹60,000 for 2 kW, and ₹78,000 for 3 kW systems. The average installation cost is around ₹1.7 lakh, and villagers can use bank loans and services from approved agencies with support from MahaVitaran.
Officials led by Chief Executive Officer Kirtikiran Pujar recently met with residents to discuss the rollout. Concerns about the monsoon’s impact on solar output were addressed, with experts assuring villagers that Kasheli’s high year-round sunlight would keep systems efficient.
Agriculture Officer Sunil Kharat explained that Kasheli was chosen for its strong solar potential and cultural importance. Once completed, the project will not only bring clean, reliable energy to the village but also strengthen Kasheli’s appeal as an eco-tourism destination.
