India will provide some 2,800 solar lamps to Bangladesh’s southwestern coastlines which was ravaged by the devastating cyclone Sidr in 2007.
An Indian High Commission statement said on December 26 a project (of installing solar lamps) is in advanced stage of implementation. The first installation has already been made at Morelganj, Bagerhat District in December 2012, it said.
Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during his Bangladesh visit in September 2011 announced that India would provide 2800 solar lamps to the beneficiaries of the Sidr cyclone shelters, built earlier by India.
Following the Sidr the then Indian external affairs minister and incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee had announced that India would construct shelters for cyclone victims in 11 villages in Bagerhat District.
Accordingly, the government of India started construction of 2800 shelters for cyclone victims in August 2010 at a cost of Taka 36.16 crore.
The first lot of 1,600 shelters was handed over on July 9, 2011 while construction of 2,649 shelters was completed in December 2011 and have since been handed over and 151 houses could not be completed in the first phase due to non- identification of beneficiaries.
In September 2012, the remaining list of 151 names was obtained, and construction is in progress. The project will be fully implemented by January 2013.
Source : EnergyBangla
