Energy-efficient model village suggested

State minister for power Nasrul Hamid has suggested building an energy efficient model village where rural people will get benefited from clean cookstoves and eventually promote the model village as an example.

His suggestion came Sunday at a function for signing a Memorandum of Understan-ding between the Global Alliance for Clean Cookestoves and the Power Division of the ministry of power, energy and mineral resources.

Speaking at the function as the chief guest, the junior minister showed interest in establishing the foundation for a market-based sector transformation and scaling up of existing activities in the cook-stove sector.

He said market demand should be created through innovative effective campaigns, which can help promote clean cooking.

Under the agreement, the ministry will work with the Alliance to establish a foundation for a market-based sector transformation and scaling up of existing activities in the clean cookstoves sector, the SNV Netherlands Develop-ment Organisation said in a statement.

Among others, Taposh Roy, Chairman SREDA, Monowar Islam, Additional Secretary, Arijit Basu, Regional Director GACC and Asif Ahmed, Head of Programmes and Planning, SNV Bangladesh were present at the ceremony.

More than 90 per cent of Bangladeshis use biomass fuel for cooking, but few are aware that the toxic fumes produced by cooking pose a serious risk to health. More than 24 million rural people use solid fuel.

In 2013, the government approved country action plan for clean cookstoves with the mission 'to save lives, improve livelihoods'.

The country plan was developed through stakeholder consultation process and with technical and financial support from SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, the Alliance and GIZ Bangladesh.