Dibrugarh: In flood-ravaged Sivasagar, where power cuts have left residents struggling to contact relatives or access relief updates, a lifeline now arrives on two wheels.Abhijit Dowarah, a 37-year-old self-taught inventor, has fitted his motorcycle with a solar panel and multiple charging points. He now rides from one inundated locality to another, helping residents charge their phones after more than a week without electricity.Sivasagar is among the worst-hit districts. Hundreds of distribution transformers have been knocked out, several 11kV feeders have been disconnected, and tens of thousands of consumers have been left without power as Assam Power Distribution Company Limited crews race to restore supply.For many residents, a charged phone is their only means of contacting family, seeking help or tracking relief updates — a gap Dowarah set out to fill.He fitted a solar panel and multiple charging points to his motorcycle and now rides from one flood-hit locality to another. At each stop, he parks for about two hours as residents queue to charge their phones.A hand-painted cardboard sign in English and Assamese reads: “If you don’t have electricity at home, you can charge your mobile here.” His phone number is also displayed so residents can contact him directly.“After the floods, many people are cut off from news, relief updates and contact with relatives. A charged phone can make a big difference. I set up the bike, let people charge and then go house to house helping elderly or immobile families. It’s a small thing, but it brings immediate relief,” Dowarah said.Locals said he covers four to five flood-affected areas a day.“He comes with his motorcycle and just quietly sets up the charging point, no fuss and no expectation of anything in return,” said a resident who has used the service.Dowarah, a self-taught innovator who has tinkered with electronics since childhood, has been credited with more than 50 inventions. These range from a wearable device for visually impaired people to shelters for stray dogs made from discarded television sets.“I have always believed that innovation isn’t about expensive labs. It’s about looking at what’s around you and asking how it can serve people. As long as I can help even a few families through a difficult time, I’ll keep building,” Dowarah added.He plans to continue his charging rounds as long as families remain without electricity.
Abhijit Dowarah, a 37-year-old self-taught inventor, has fitted his motorcycle with a solar panel and multiple charging points
Abhijit Dowarah, a 37-year-old self-taught inventor, has fitted his motorcycle with a solar panel and multiple charging points
Abhijit Dowarah, a 37-year-old self-taught inventor, has fitted his motorcycle with a solar panel and multiple charging points
