The government is going to install lights at village roads using solar power for lighting the rural areas providing urban amenities.
The initiative is part of the ruling party Awami League’s pledges in its parliamentary election manifesto in which it had declared forming ‘My Village My Town’ to provide urban amenities to the rural areas.
In this connection, the government will primarily install 6130 street lights at 133 union parishads under 17 upazilas across the country.
The government will install street lights in the rest of the villages in phases.
In this regard, the government has taken a pilot project titled ‘Enlighten Street Light’ worth Tk 47.61 crore. The Rural Poverty Reduction Foundation will implement the project. The project would be completed by June 2022.
The project aims to install street lights at all roads in rural areas. Phase by phase, street lights would be installed across the country.
Under the pilot project, 133 unions of 17 upazilas roads would be given street lights with solar energy as source. People can easily move 24 hours in their respective areas. No darkness will be in the country.
The upazilas are---Pirganj of Rangpur, Tungipara of Gopalganj, Vedorganj of Shariatpur, Shibpur and Raipur of Narsingdhi, Monirampur of Jashore, Sripur and Magura Sadar, Tala of Satkhira, Melandohof Jamalpur, Mohonganj of Netrokona, Lalmai and Monohorganj of of Cumilla, Singra of Natore, Agoiljhara and Gouronadi of Barishal and South Sunamganj Upazila of Sunamganj districts respectively where street lights would be installed soon.
According to the government’s renewable energy policy, 10 per cent electricity would be come from the renewable energy sources by 2020. So, the government has taken the pilot project to give urban facilities among rural people.
The project evaluation committee of the planning commission has suggested implementing the project at rural areas excluding upazila sadar and municipal areas.
