Small-scale hydro power plant to be installed in Bandarban

Bandarban hill district council is planning to install small-scale hydro power plants at its most remote Thanchi upazila which is still out of power net.
The district council has already developed a model plant and it is planning to install two such proto type small-scale hydro power plants with the capacity of two megawatt electricity generation capacity at Thanchi, Council Chairman Kashoyhla told BSS while contacted him from here.
The model was designed and installed by a local expert Aungthui Khoye Marma of Monjoypara at his own initiative, he said.
He said, area basis, small scale hydro power plants will be very effective for this hill district as there are many hard to reach places including Thanchi where bringing of national gridline is very expensive and difficult.
"We have plans to demonstrate our model hydro power plant in front of the experts and donor agencies next month," he said, adding "we have already talked with UNDP to fund the project." He said, as per their initial estimate the total cost of each plant might be only around Tk 10 lakh which can supply electricity to around 3000 local people.
The hydro power plants in Thanchi are expecting to ease electricity crisis in the district in large scale as presently the district is getting three megawatt power daily against its demand of six to seven megawatt power.
"We have also plan to install such kind of hydro power plant across the district aiming at bringing all its 3.7 lakh aboriginals and Bengalis inhabitants under power supply," he said.
He informed that a delegation of the council led by him visited Nepal last month to attend a workshop on hydro power.
"During our visit we have seen the technology and realise that hydro electricity can be produced in the district where we can find source of water flow and pouch of stagnated water," he added.
Executive Engineer of Bandarban Electricity Distribution Department Jaynal Abedin said, presently the electricity subscriber numbers in the district are 15,000 which cover around 70,000 people.