RANGPUR, July 18, 2018 (BSS) – In continuation of ‘Power at every home’
programme, one of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 10 special initiatives,
solar power-run street lights are illuminating 40-kilometre rural roads of
Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur.
By virtue of solar power, most parts of Chirirbandar upazila are now
illuminated in the uninterrupted light of solar power creating comfortable
environment for the rural populations.
The street lights are illuminating the roadside areas consuming solar
power constantly without any hassle of load-shedding like in electricity
supply benefiting thousands of people of many remote villages during their
movements at nights.
Chirirbandar Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Monwarul Islam
said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief set up 120 solar street
lights on 40-km roadsides under the Taka for Work and Test Relief projects
during the 2017-2018 fiscal.
“The solar streets lights have been set up at hats, bazaars, hospitals,
juncture of roads, educational institutions, mosques, temples and other
religious institutions and important places from Ranirbandar to Amtali and
other roads in 12 unions of the upazila,” he said.
“Besides, the ministry set up 600 solar streets lights at a cost of Taka
2.51-crore in two phases at similar places of all 12 unions in the upazila
under the Rural Infrastructure Maintenance Programme during the 2017-2018
fiscal,” the PIO said.
He said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief with assistance of
Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) of the government had set
up the street lights.
In addition, more solar street lights would be set up at 600 points of the
upazila during the current fiscal to further reduce pressure on electricity,
he added.
Chairman of the governing body of Chirirbandar Model Pilot High School Azim
Uddin Sarker Golap told the national news agency setting up of streets lights
already enhanced the pace of development of the rural people.
“As a result of setting up of streets lights by roadsides at important
places using solar power panels as an alternative power source by the
government, pressure on electricity and load-shedding on power supply already
reduced notably in the upazila,” he said.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chirirbandar Thana Haresul Islam said the number
of drug addicts and smugglers in the streets already reduced considerably
following setting up of the solar panels by the roadsides all over the
upazila.
“Besides, the patrol police are performing their duties comfortably at
nights amid illuminated roadside areas to maintain peaceful law and order
situations,” the OC added.
Chirirbandar Upazila Nirbahi officer (UNO) Golam Rabbani said the
government already set up solar streets lights using special solar panels to
illuminate rural areas at hundreds of important points having movement of
people in all 12 unions of the upazila.
“Currently, the process of expansion of the project is in progress to
illuminate more areas of the upazila using the eco-friendly and alternative
source of power to further ease life of the rural people and speed up their
development,” the UNO added.