Solar lamps to replace lanterns in poll booths

KOLKATA: Power lines may not have reached all of rural Bengal but votes will not be cast under lantern light this general elections. Instead, solarpowered lights will be installed at polling booths.
Solar lamps will be used in all poll booths where electricity is not available. This promises to be one of the pioneering projects in the state, and might well be adopted all over the country.West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) is implementing the project.
The election department hopes the project will help overcome "serious problems" in some of the islands and remote areas of South 24-Parganas.Poll work in these centres used to be carrier out with kerosene lanterns earlier. "But in this age, it is distressing that officers should use crude lighting for such a high profile job," said the director of WBREDA, Sakti Pada Ganchoudhury.
"Managing election responsibilities in darkness is almost impossible. All election officers come from cities and they have always complained to us about the lack of facilities," said chief election officer Basudeb Banerjee.
This plan was, in fact, tailor made for South 24-Parganas. "Other districts are still manageable but some parts of South 24-Parganas not only lack any facilities but are quite inaccessible as well. Days are short and one needs artificial light by early afternoon itself. We hope solar lights will solve the problem," said Banerjee.
Solar lights can glow for six hours and can be charged during the day. "With four hours of charging, these lamps can work till the duty hours are over.We will be supplying lamps free to the election department. These will be handed out to election officers two days in advance and returned to us after polls are over," said Gan Choudhury.
There will also be an awareness demonstration for villagers. "We want them to understand what solar energy is all about and how it can easily solve power problems," he added. "The Election Commission can see the difference for itself. The technology can be implemented in other parts of the country as well."