Nearly two thousand families living in the inaccessible charland of this district are now enjoying the facilities of electricity originated from solar panels that brought huge change in their life style.According to official sources, thousands of people of Sadar and Charbhadrsan upazillas live in the charland being separated by mighty river Padma from the main land. The electricity could not reach the places due to many infrastructural problems, said a source of PDB.But at this age of modern world the people of those areas were using age old kerosine lamps and hurricanes. The people were deprived of the modern facilities and life style. Under this situation, a local NGO Amra Kaj Kori (AKK) with the financial assistance of a German donor agency Andre Hilfi took up projects in the charland to give light to the people through setting solar panels.Now the second phase of the three year project is going on. The actual cost of setting a solar panel is Taka 25,500 but they are taking only the subsidized rate of only Taka 3,500 that benefits two families.The panel has an warranty of 20 years, battery 5 years, charge controller 3 years while the lamps have the warranty of 3 years.Some people living in the Charland said their total life style has been changed opening a new horizon of hopes and aspirations in the area. -BSS, Faridpur
