A Karntaka farmer has once again proved that you can do anything with a strong will and a bit of innovation. Siddappa Hulajogi, an illiterate farmer from Karnataka’s Nargund taluka, has designed a windmill, made of waste materials that can generate power. He uses the electricity from windmill in his fields and house.

The farmer first thought of alternative power about 15 years ago, when the electricity supply company refused to provide electricity to his village as it was far from the nearest powered village. His ideas came from windmills installed near his fields by private power companies. Siddappa’s inspiration to build a windmill came from a power unit installed near his fields by a multinational private power plant. He would climb up to watch and know how actually the wind power worked. Once he got hold of things, he started off with his mission.

Then he started designing the windmill using  waste materials. He fabricated blades using tin sheets, and he used wood and copper wires to make a propeller. He used wood, wires, parts from the pulley system, fan-belts, etc to build the turbine. The power generated is stored in a battery box where it converts the DC current in to AC for household purposes.

The windmill operates a borewell to irrigate Siddappa’s farm. It is also used to power bulbs in the homes of the farmer and his brother. “The windmill which I built, generates enough power to light up ten 60 watts bulb and 2 television sets in mine and my brother’s home,” says Siddappa.

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In a country where around 30% of the population still lives without electricity, this man is changing the world in a way that most of us can only dream of. Siddappa may have only reinvented the (water) wheel, but he is driving a change here, by making himself self-sustainable, and working towards extending this to power the entire village, by creating a hydel power unit on a bigger canal through the village. Keep fighting, Siddappa. More power to you!