RAIPUR: “We stayed awake that night… just watching the bulb glow,” says a villager in Irapanar — a place that, until now, existed more in memory than on maps.Tucked deep inside the forests and hills of Abujhmarh, around 30km from Narayanpur district headquarters but hours away in real terms, Irapanar has seen electricity for the first time. For a village that lived for decades in near-complete isolation, the arrival of power is not just about light — it is about arrival.The journey here is not measured in kilometres. It winds through dense forests, steep hill climbs and broken mud tracks, often requiring long stretches on foot. During monsoons, the village is virtually cut off.Yet, against this terrain, teams of the Chhattisgarh state power distribution company limited carried poles, wires and equipment across ridges and forests, often relying more on human effort than machines. Officials said the electrification was carried out in mission mode despite logistical constraints.Extending power to Irapanar was far from routine. “It required physical effort at every step — from transporting materials to installing poles in difficult terrain. But the idea was simple: even the last village must not be left behind,” said collector Namrata Jain.The project, executed at a cost of ₹56.11 lakh, has brought electricity connections to households that had never seen a steady source of light. For generations, evenings meant lanterns, firewood and early darkness.Now, the change is immediate and visible.Children can study after sunset. Mobile phones, once useless without charge, are slowly becoming part of daily life. Fans, lights and basic appliances are beginning to redefine comfort in a place where survival once dictated routine.The locals hope it will open doors to digital education, healthcare access, communication networks and even small livelihoods.“When the lights came on, everyone came out of their homes,” recalls a local. “We didn’t want to sleep. It felt like something new had begun.”Irapanar’s story is also part of a larger shift unfolding in Abujhmarh — a region long cut off by geography and conflict.
