RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a participatory discussion called for ensuring access to fuel including renewable energies of the slum dwellers and other marginalised people for their benefits, reports BSS.
They advocated for making the existing bank loan privileges towards solar system, biogas plant, vermicomposting and dairy and cattle farming easy so that the marginal people can derive total benefits of the loans.
The observation came in a citizen's dialogue titled "safe food and road, garbage management and marginalized people access to fuel" here yesterday afternoon.
Bangladesh Resource Centre for Indigenous Knowledge (BARCIK) and Barind Education, Culture and Diversity Protection Centre (BECDPC) jointly organised the dialogue at Engineers Institutions Bangladesh Auditorium.
Mayor of Rajshahi City Corporation Musaddique Hossain Bulbul addressed the meeting as focal person while BARCIC Barind Region Coordinator Shahidul Islam and BECDPC Member Shamiul Alim Shaon revealed their research findings on the issue.
Panel Mayor Nurun Nahar Begum, River and Environment Researcher Mahbub Siddique, Convener of River Protection Movement Advocate Enamul Haque and President of Save the Nature Mizanur Rahman also spoke.
Mayor Bulbul opined that there are enormous prospects of promoting renewable energies through the best uses of existing natural resources in the barind region.
He said availability of energy from different sources is vital for the present life in meeting the challenge of the ever-increasing demand for energy. Instead of depending on only the fossil fuel emphasis should be given on enriching the renewable energy sources to face the energy challenges.
Bulbul underlined the need for wide-ranging use of energy efficient products to reduce the existing pressure on power demands. He laid stress on using energy efficient electrical appliances to reduce electricity cost coupled with energy conservation which is essential for addressing the energy crises.