Rangabali lives change as submarine cable brings power to doorsteps

The people of Rangabali, a collection of islands bound by the sea and rivers, never dreamed of their property getting connected to the national power grid.

Roads, storm shelters, mobile phone networks and safe boat rides are all they could imagine in terms of modern facilities.

The government exceeded their expectations by planting electrical poles there as part of plans to deliver power to the whole population of Bangladesh, and the residents of Rangabari are powering up lights, fans and refrigerators in their homes for the last six months.

The shoal or char area was connected to the national electricity grid with submarine cables from the mainland several kilometres away as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina delivered on her Mujib Year promises.

Momtaz Sardar, a shopkeeper, said he thought it was impossible to get electricity from the national grid in such a remote area though the talk of power being delivered to the Upazila had been going on for several years.

LIFE-CHANGING

Rangabali is located 13km off the coast of Patuakhali mainland’s Kalapara Upazila and is consisted of Sadar Union, Barabaishdia, Chhotabaishdia, Char Montaz, Chalitabunia Union chars and rivers with a size of around 470sqkm.

Every union is separated by streams of rivers while several comprises two or more islands. Sonar Char, Andar Char, Char Kashem, Char Hare and several other new ones have risen on the seabed around it.

More than 100,000 people from around 25,000 families reside in the region and they mostly live off fishing.

Hanif Mahmud has been riding motorcycles as a profession in Rangabali town for the last 15 years since clearing his SSC examinations.

“Generators used to give us power for several hours at night. The hotels and restaurants powered TV using batteries, which people could watch in exchange for money or a purchase,” he said.

“In 2005-2006, solar power was introduced here. Almost all prospering families have taken up solar power in the last 10 years. Although NGOs distributed them in the beginning, solar panels could only be bought at markets for the last five years.

“But we could never dream up having electricity 24 hours via the national grid. Our lives changed radically after getting connected. Many TV and refrigerator shops opened up and the restaurants mostly have fridges.

“We had to buy Tk 25 soft drinks for Tk 30 as they had to be kept cold in ice, which was brought from some factory in Kalapara. Now we can buy drinks at a fair price.”

Rangabali Upazila Nirbahi Officer or UNO Md Mashfaqur Rahman said: “This is a remote island region. The locals never in their wildest dreams imagined they would get electricity. It arrived quickly as the prime minister promised to deliver electricity to all in the Mujib Year."

He said 25,000 families have been connected to the grid since September 2020. The task was daunting as the submarine cables were drawn 6km across the riverway and an overhead connection was brought 26km across from Char Fasson’s main substation on the other side.

“Char Montaz Union is 14km southeast of Rangabali while Chaltabunia is 7km away. Chaltabunia was connected via submarine cable from Galachipa. And all the work was completed within 14 months.”

“In these five months of electrical connection, I’ve noticed some splendid economic changes. Lands previously priced at Tk 30,000 now cost Tk 300,000… The fishermen are producing ice in their own localities, setting up cold storage. Fishing without ice cannot bring much profit.”

Hoping for growth in agriculture in the region, UNO Mashfaqur said: “This place relies on farming. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, watermelons of Tk 5 billion were sold here last year. But freshwater has to be welled up for farming here as it's all saltwater all around.”

The water reserved in small ponds was not enough for irrigation, Mashfaqur added. But now they can dig the ground to access freshwater, use it in farming and increase productivity manifold.

On radical economic changes, he pointed out that the number of stores leapt to near 200 in areas that had about 50 even two years ago.

“Stores now sell refrigerators, television and other electronic devices. There’s been a massive change in lifestyle.”

UNINTERRUPTED POWER?

A 33 kV connection has been drawn over 26km stretch to Rangabali, according to the Rural Electrification Board or REB. Authorities pulled a 5.8km submarine cable under Tentulia, Kajal and Bura Gauranga River, while also establishing an 11kV substation.

Locals, however, reported having no power for half a day every day.

REB Patuakhali Samity General Manager Md Razzakur Rahman said, “Chalitabunia was connected from Patuakhali REB’s Galachipa section and Rangabali’s Gahinkhali was connected from another portion, both using submarine cables.

Power in Char Montaz was drawn from Bhola’s Char Fasson.

Along with stretching underwater, the cables also traversed mangrove forests in many regions.

“Many issues arise due to the lines being drawn through deep forests. We've to raise the number of substations as well. But there is no shortage of electricity to cause power outages.”

According to REB, a 26km overhead connection, a 10 MV substation, 1,241km distribution line of 11kV was set up in Rangabali at the expense of Tk 2.6 billion.

As many as 25,358 consumers in 104 villages received electricity through this project, which began in September 2020 and wrapped up in November last year.