Meet the Sarpanch of a Solar Village That Earns Lakhs by Composting & Has Won 5 National Awards

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Sarpanch Gadge Meenakshi’s journey is a testament to finding a window of opportunity in adversity. The head of model village Mukhra in Telangana has committed her tenure as sarpanch to transforming this rural heartland into one booming with potential. As someone who grew up in this village, Meenakshi observed the harsh realities from a young age.

In a previous interview with The Better India, she articulated this, highlighting the poor drainage system — “Often, drains would overflow on the pathways, making it difficult to move about. This would also become a breeding ground for mosquitoes”, lack of educational facilities — “I had to travel 11 km daily to school”, and the problem of doctors leaving the village due to poor healthcare infrastructure.

Complaints of the villagers would fall on deaf ears.

So, when Meenakshi was elected as sarpanch in 2019, she decided to flip the script. Her efforts were directed towards eradicating open defecation, constructing soak pits in every house to prevent water leakage, and keep mosquitoes at bay, turning wet waste into vermicompost — the sale of which is earning the village lakhs — and installing rooftop solar panels.

Not only does Mukhra generate zero electricity bills, but it has also bagged five national awards and recognition from President Droupadi Murmu.

But as Meenakshi emphasises, it all began with a dream to see her village do better.

Here’s her story:

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Edited by Pranita Bhat