Kutubdia's energy crisis

It is a puzzle that despite a significant investment in wind turbine power that should have produced enough electricity to cater to the demands of Kutubdia's 1.75 lakh residents, most of them must live in darkness for hours on end. This includes schoolchildren who must continue to study with the help of kerosene lamps.

The answer to the riddle seems to be tied up with official apathy towards maintenance and repair of the windmill that cost 15 crore to build. The one that now erratically produces electricity had been battered by natural disasters and eventually sank below the seabed. It took ten years to be repaired and that too not properly. Why would something as essential as a power generating infrastructure take so long to get government attention? 

We are informed that a second windmill project is underway promising more electricity. But judging from the previous record of how such a project is monitored and run, we cannot be very hopeful. This pessimism is compounded by misgivings expressed by locals who say that the new project is moving at a snail's pace and it is possible that there were flaws in the first windmill's construction causing it to be damaged.

Wind energy is one of the most innovative, sustainable forms of renewable energy and we must laud the government for initiating such projects. But it is crucial that the government ensures that windmills are built strongly enough to withstand the onslaughts of nature. Monitoring of the projects and regular maintenance should be routine exercises. The price of electricity, moreover, should be made affordable for the residents of the islands, most of whom are from low income backgrounds. The whole point of producing renewal energy is to make sure it is accessible and affordable to everyone.