Home ›› 12 Dec 2022 ›› Back
Solar home system has become extensively popular among hundreds living in the districts of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) as the national grid fails to supply power in these remote hilly regions that accommodate many indigenous communities from time immemorial.
Due to solar power, living standard of most of the indigenous people is also marching towards modern and assenting conditions in the CHT that combines of Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban districts.
Uh Uyechara, a resident of Remakri union in Thanchi upazila said, in his area kerosene light or diesel generator have been the only source of light so far which was highly expensive. Kerosene light was their only hope as getting electricity from generator was hardly possible for poor families like his, he said. “But now we are enjoying lights, fan and charging our mobile phones with free electricity”, he said.
Chei Ongri Marma, another local from the same area said, they have received training on solar panel use and using the solar system with proper care.
The government has fixed 20-year time limit for using solar panels but they will try to use them for 25 years, Mui Mong, a local ingenuous man said.
At the same time, Junenatu and his family members said although their children were getting education but continuing study was quite difficult due to lack of electricity. “But now, the light of education will spread rapidly as the problem of electricity has resolved”, he said while expressing joy.
According to the census of 2022, the population in the hilly districts was 18,42,815 among them, 9,20,217 were tribal people and the rest were from the Bengali community.
The tribal populations are Chakma, Marma, Tripura, Tanchangya, Assamese, Keot, Chak, Pankho, Mro, Murang, Bom, Lushei, Khyang and Khum. They differ markedly from the Bengali majority in language, culture, physical appearance, religion, dress and farming methods. They live in small villages consist of 20 to 100 families in remote lands of the hill tracts.
The government has initiated the solar system as population from the flat lands get basic government services easily but these services can hardly reach to these indigenous communities.
Steps were taken to facilitate free power supply among the underprivileged communities of these remote lands by solar home system or photovoltaic system, which is an electric power system designed to supply usable solar power by means of photovoltaics.
Besides, measures are underway to supply power to 40,000 families by solar home panels and different orphanages, student hostels, local organisations by 2,500 community solar systems in three hilly districts.
Initially at the first phase, 10,890 families got solar home system and more than 2,000 received community solar system ensuring supply of 1.80 megawatt electricity while the work of the second phase is underway.
Around 3,643 among 16,443 families in Rangamati, 3,107 among 16,107 families in Khagrachhari and 4,360 among 18,360 families in Bandarban districts were brought under solar home system.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Welfare Trust has been implementing the project of the second phase that will cost around Tk204.37 crore. Besides, additional Tk30 crore was allocated from the development assistance funds to continue the project in the fiscal 2022-23.
A total of 40,000 home solar systems with 100 Watt Peak (Wp) and 2500 solar community systems with 320 Wp will be established under the project.
Bangladesh has enhanced solar power system significantly since 1996, by installing small units of home solar systems while the country currently has 6,0037601 home solar systems across the country.
Meanwhile, according to the data of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority, around 351 megawatt electricity is being produced by different types of solar power systems including rooftop unit, home solar system, roadside lamps across the country.
