Solar power changes lifestyle in remote Rangpur areas

RANGPUR, Apr 12 (BSS): The eco-friendly solar power has brought about a revolutionary change in the overall lifestyle of the socially backward people living in the remote areas including hardly reachable char villages. Side by side using common electric devices, the youths and students of some remote and char villages in greater Rangpur have now come in touch with the concept of digital Bangladesh by browsing internets. The backward people are now hoping their quicker advancement by virtue of the solar power in the remote and char areas of Rangpur, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari in the river basins. According to sources, different NGOs including BRAC, Grameen Shakti, RDRS Bangladesh, Pratyasha and others have so far installed over 9,000 solar-power units in more than 400 remote and char villages in the area. Over 0.1 million people are now smoothly watching TV, using fans, lighting bulbs and some refrigerators, charging mobile phone sets, and operating some computers side by side with other daily jobs and students are studying bat nights in the remote areas. The NGOs have been assisting people in setting up solar- power units at costs ranging between Tk 12,000 to Tk 52,000 each depending on power generation capacities on down payment basis. Huge number of solar power units has been installed in the remote and char villages of Chilmari, Roumari, Rajibpur, Nageswari, Rajarhat and Sadar Upazilas in Kurigram like other places in Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat. The solar power users said that they could hardly think about electricity in these remote and sandy char areas and they are now availing this facility in these inaccessible villages, but the prices are still higher. They are now knowing the digital Bangladesh programme and becoming aware about corruptions, drugs, dowry, child marriage, malnutrition, maternal and child mortalities, health, agriculture, sanitation and other things by watching TV. The NGO officials told the news agency that people are showing their keen interests towards setting up more solar power units in the remote and char areas and both the government and NGOs are trying to provide more plants to the people at lower costs Solar unit users Hafizur Rahman, Bimola Khatun and Noor Alam of village Byaparipara and Saiful Islam of Chilmari said that their lives have become easier getting uninterrupted supply of power using the solar technology. Free eye camp held Our Correspondent adds: A free eye camp was held at Gangachhara health complex in Rangpur district recently. Apollo Eye Hospital with the financial assistance of Dutch Bangla Bank Limited organised the day-long free eye camp for the poor people. More than 200 poor people received treatment in the free eye camp. Managing Director of Apollo Eye Hospital, Rangpur, Dr. Delwar Hossain, Manager of DBBL, Rangpur branch, Manjurul Islam, eye specialist and surgeon Subrato Majumdar were present on the occasion. OMS rice seized Another massage adds: Pirganj Thana police seized 200 sacks of OMS rice from a warehouse at the Vendabari area under Pirganj Upazila in Rangpur district recently. Police said acting on secret information, a team of police headed by UNO of pirganj Firoz Ahmed raided the warehouse of a local trader Abdul Hamid and recovered the sacks of OMS rice from the godown. A case was filed in this connection.