More villages in North Pakaraimas receive solar panels

The government’s Hinterland Solar Electrification Programme has significantly improved the quality of life for families in remote villages across the North Pakaraimas, Region Eight.

Over the weekend, the village councils of Arasawa, Kurukabaru, Sand Hill, Waipa, and Kaibarupai received their solar panel systems from the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, and the ministry’s Project Coordinator, Besham Ramsaywack, which will now provide them with 24-hour electricity.

Each household will now be equipped with a 160-megawatt solar PV panel, a charge controller unit with a lithium-ion battery, two nine-watt LED lamps, and one 12-watt desk fan.

Additionally, each home energy system has two USB ports to charge portable electronic devices.

Minister Sukhai demonstrated the correct way to set up the solar panels while emphasising the need for families to take care of the systems, to ensure they last longer.

“These panels were a commitment that the PPP/C made…As soon as we came into office, we reestablished efforts to make sure that panels arrive to complement the earlier distribution we’ve made in our term before,” she underscored.

The programme aims to enhance the livelihoods of Amerindian and riverine communities by distributing 30,000 solar panels as an energy source.

The project also aims to bridge the energy divide between the coastland and hinterland areas.

Other villages in Region Eight, including Kamana, Kato, Paramakatoi, Bamboo Creek, Campbelltown, Taruka, and Monkey Mountain, have already received their solar panel systems.