Increase font size Decrease font size Reset font size

Khyber schools start getting solar panels

By Our Correspondent 2017-07-21
LANDI KOTAL: The education department in Khyber Agency has started distribution of solar panels among government schools in Bara, Landi Kotal and Jamrud tehsils.

Former governor Eng Shaukatullah during a visit to Jamrud announced provision of solar panel system to all the government schools in Khyber agency when local students complained aboutexcessiveload-shedding in summer.

Giving details about the plan, Agency Education Officer Jadoon Khan said that 52 solar panel systems were procured from Directorate of Education Fata after its approval in the Annual Development Plan for the year 2017-18.

He said initially his department had decided to distribute such systems among the high schools due to limited funds. `We have so far distributed seven solar systems among government high schools in Bara and Jamrud while principals/headmasters andowners of the land where rest of the schools were constructed were also invited to collect the systems from his of fice,` he said.

Mr Jadoon said that most of the schools in Bara and Jamrud were closed for summer holidays, which caused delay in its distribution.

He said that the cost of one solar system, which included solar panels, battery, uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system and a fan was calculated to be Rs97,000 where as the Directorate of Education Fata had approved only Rs35,000 for provision of such equipment to government primary schools.

`We had no choice to skip the primary schools in the initial distribution plan due to paucity of funds and have instead focused on high schools,` he explained and adding that the his department purchased other necessary items like furniture, water coolers, mates etc for primary schools with the amount allocated for solar systems.

He however said that a new summery had been sent to the directorateof education for sanction of adequate funds for solarization of all government schools in near future.

SPERAY DAM: Farmers in most parts of Bara sub-division of Khyber Agency have expressed reservations over the water distribution from Speray dam to their agricultural lands.

They said that farm lands in Sipah, Maladin Khel, Akkakhel, Shalobar and Bar gambar Khel were not receiving adequate water from the irrigation channels supplying water from the dam due to poor management of the local irrigation staf f.

They said a non-governmental organisation had distributed free seeds among local farmers but they could not get good produce from their crops due to shortage of irrigation water.

They demanded of the political administration and official of irrigation department at Fata Secretariat to ensure timely and suf ficient water for their farm lands as a large number of returned families were heavily relying on their agricultural produce.