Use of solar power has changed lifestyle and socio-economic condition of thousands of people living in the remote char villages on the Basin of Brahmaputra River in recent years.
Char people are now watching television, using fans, lighting bulbs, using refrigerators, charging mobile phone sets and operating computers.
Villagers have become more aware about negative impact of child marriage, dowry, malnutrition of pregnant women and children, reasons of maternal and child mortality, adverse effect of social superstitions different medias.
The people, who could hardly think about availability of electricity, are now enjoying various facilities.
They neither suffer from low-voltage, nor get irritated due to load shedding.
During a visit to different villages it was found that many farmers were crushing paddy at night using electricity from the plants.
Local sources said over 120,000 char people are now using some 21,000 solar power units set up under assistances of different NGOs in char areas of Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and adjoining riverine districts.
The Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service, the BRAC, the Grameen Shakti, the Resource Integration and Social Development Association, Bangladesh, Pratyasha and Rahim Afroz, Srijnoni have installed solar-power units at costs between Tk12,000 to Tk45,000 each depending on power generation capacities mainly with the assistances of the Infrastructure Development Company Limited, reports BSS.
“RDRS Bangladesh has set up 1,300 solar power units in char areas and other backwards villages inhabited by the ethnic minority communities so far in the region,” Agriculture and Environment Coordinator of the NGO Mamunur Rashid said.
According to the NGO sources, over 850 solar power units have so far been set up in Chilmari Sadar, Ostomir Char, Noyarhat, Ramna and Raniganj unions in Chilmari upazila on the Brahmaputra riverbed alone during the past six years.
The people of Hatia, Buraburi and Anantapur, Bazra, Gunaigach, Santoshbiram and Khamar Damarhat char villages under Ulipur upazila are now using over 350 solar units provided by BRAC on easy installments. Similarly, thousands of people living in the char villages of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Kurigram and Gaibandha are now using solar power.
Chairman of Chilmari upazila Shawkat Ali Sarker, Bir Bikram, said solar power had brought revolutionary change in char areas.
Bimola Khatun, 42, Noor Alam, 52, Saiful Islam, 46, of Chilmari upazila said they were now getting uninterrupted supply of power using the solar technology.
Students of different char areas Tahmina, 17, Moshfeka, 15, Sultana, 15, Gokul, 17 and Shakil, 16, said they studied at nights getting uninterrupted solar power.