Hey folks,
How often have you heard the finance gurus talk about ‘sunshine’ zones? Pretty frequently, right? And you know that they are
describing an area which is all set for prosperity. Well, let me tell you about a place that can in no way qualify to this level, and yet is
basking in sunshine. And making better use of it than anywhere else in the world. The archipelago called the Sundarbans which includes a
mangrove cover of 2,125 sq km in India alone, and a larger portion in Bangladesh.
Yes, it is one of the poorest regions on the planet, repeatedly ravaged by tidal surges of monstrous proportions, Cyclone Aila being the latest. But did you know that India’s largest cluster of solar power system is in the Sunderban islands? The inhabited islands here are not connected to the grid, the light comes entirely from solar power installations and home lighting systems! So along with the tigers, 40,000 solar panels too are being listed as major casualties of Aila here. Meanwhile, as the panels get fixed, some villagers have begun using solar lanterns that require nothing but direct sunlight to get charged! Now if this is not a sunshine zone, then what is?
If the system works so well in disaster time, just guage its potential when things are normal,and resources are available. Time to think hard, huh?
– Pandit Gobar Ganesh
E-mail:
panditji@cseindia.org
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