Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) has introduced an electric power transmission and distribution network, putting an end to conventional wired over-the-top electric poles.
This is the first time in the country’s history a city has successfully gotten rid of the conventional street wired electricity poles.
The full-fledged operation of the installation of underground lines and the removal of the overhead wires took place on the first month of this year.
The first phase of the system was implemented at the Shahjalal (R) Shrine area of the SCC ward 1 where all the wired electric poles were removed along with other service oriented wires.
SCC Mayor ArifulHaq Chowdhury said: “What started as a test run project has made way for Sylhet city to get rid of all kinds of overhead wires including electric lines, making it the first city in the country to look like a foreign city.”
“Initially, all the placesfrom the Shrine area to the court pointwill soon be free of wires. Eventually, the whole city corporation will come under this project,” he said.
SCC Chief Engineer Md Noor Azizur Rahman said: “It was a big challenge to implement the underground electricity system, which the city corporation along with the power division was successful in doing so.”
“Both SCC and the power division will work round the clock to provide uninterruptible power supply and keep the streets of the city wire-free,” he added.
The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) financed the project at a cost of Tk 550 million.