RANGPUR: In continuation of ‘Power at every home’ programme, one of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 10 special initiatives, solar power-run street lights are illuminating 40-kilometre rural roads of Chirirbandar upazila in Dinajpur, reports BSS.

By virtue of solar power, most parts of Chirirbandar upazila are now illuminated in the uninterrupted light of solar power creating comfortable environment for the rural populations.

The street lights are illuminating the roadside areas consuming solar power constantly without any hassle of load-shedding like in electricity supply benefiting thousands of people of many remote villages during their movements at nights.

Chirirbandar Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Monwarul Islam said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief set up 120 solar street lights on 40-km roadsides under the Taka for Work and Test Relief projects during the 2017-2018 fiscal.

“The solar streets lights have been set up at hats, bazaars, hospitals, juncture of roads, educational institutions, mosques, temples and other religious institutions and important places from Ranirbandar to Amtali and other roads in 12 unions of the upazila,” he said.

“Besides, the ministry set up 600 solar streets lights at a cost of Taka 2.51-crore in two phases at similar places of all 12 unions in the upazila under the Rural Infrastructure Maintenance Programme during the 2017-2018 fiscal,” the PIO said.

He said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief with assistance of Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) of the government had set up the street lights.

In addition, more solar street lights would be set up at 600 points of the upazila during the current fiscal to further reduce pressure on electricity, he added.

Chairman of the governing body of Chirirbandar Model Pilot High School Azim Uddin Sarker Golap told the national news agency setting up of streets lights already enhanced the pace of development of the rural people.

“As a result of setting up of streets lights by roadsides at important places using solar power panels as an alternative power source by the government, pressure on electricity and load-shedding on power supply already reduced notably in the upazila,” he said.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Chirirbandar Thana Haresul Islam said the number of drug addicts and smugglers in the streets already reduced considerably following setting up of the solar panels by the roadsides all over the upazila.

“Besides, the patrol police are performing their duties comfortably at nights amid illuminated roadside areas to maintain peaceful law and order situations,” the OC added.

Chirirbandar Upazila Nirbahi officer (UNO) Golam Rabbani said the government already set up solar streets lights using special solar panels to illuminate rural areas at hundreds of important points having movement of people in all 12 unions of the upazila.

“Currently, the process of expansion of the project is in progress to illuminate more areas of the upazila using the eco-friendly and alternative source of power to further ease life of the rural people and speed up their development,” the UNO added.