The demand for solar power has been increasing day by day in the district of Pabna following the erratic supply of electricity for a long time.
A large number of people in Iswardi upazila, of the district have set up solar power panels on the roof tops of their buildings and over business centers to get respite from the everyday load-shedding.
Besides, electricity facilities at many villages of the district is yet to be reached as the villagers have already set up solar power panels to get power at night.
Local people said, if the government takes initiatives and supports the solar power plant project under the PDB areas it could be expanded immediately.
Thousands of suffering people, both in the urban and rural areas will get respite from unusual power disruption and load-shedding.
It is to be mentioned here that a few non-government organizations including ‘Grameen Shakti’ and ‘BRAC’ have set up solar power panels in different rural areas of the district earlier, but they have been allegedly charging a huge amount of money including interest from the consumers.
Earlier, at a seminar on prospects of Renewable Energy in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Energy Advisor Dr. Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhary informed that the government is planning to undertake a project to install a 500 mw solar power plant with the financial assistance of Asian Development Board (ADB) to meet the countries growing demand of electricity.
Director of local government and rural development cell of IEDB Abdul Gofran presented the key-note paper on the topic of seminar focusing on the worsening situation of electricity in the rural areas.
Though electricity has become a basic need of modern civilization but it is yet to reach about 78 villages in Iswardi and Atghoria upazilas and vast Chalan beel areas in Pabna district. Many villages plunge into darkness due to erratic power supply for long hours of the day. Electricity consumers have been facing untold sufferings everyday due to frequent power disruption.
Production in industries is being seriously hampered due to severe power crisis in the northern region including in Pabna district.
The problem has turned acute due hot spell blowing over the region for the last few days.
Source: energy bangla.com
