Aceh Timur, Ekuatorial – The Indonesian Army on Tuesday (17/3) installed environmentally-friendly lamps, stoves, and gas for poor people with limited access to electricity in East Aceh.
The programs dubbed as People’s Army Energy Saving Lamps (Lentera), People’s Villages Supervisory Non-Commissioned Officer Stove (Kombara), and People’s Army Gas Engine (Mogantara) were distributed by East Aceh district military command (makodim) unit 0104.
Adi Wirawan of East Aceh Makodim Unit 0104 said that lamps, which called as Limar (people’s electricity) were given to villages with no access to electricity, especially to Buket Seuleumak.
Limar is a lamp using battery similar used in cars. One battery can only be used for one unit of lamp consists of five bulbs.
“The battery can last without recharging for a month is used for eight hours a day,” said Wirawan adding that the lamp would lasted for ten years and was tested for fire safety.
Furthermore, he said that one house received one unit of the Rp2,200,000 lamp.
Muhammad Hasan, one of the recipient of the lamp, said that it was very helpful especially for those who couldn’t afford to pay for electricity.
“We usually use kerosene to light the lamp but Limar is more efficient and easy,” said Hasan.
Meanwhile, Aji Syah, a villager of Meulidi, East Aceh, said that the lamp was not only for houses but also for public facilities, especially for children to be able to read Al Quran.
“[We hope] that Meunasah and children’s Quran reading place can be supported by the lamp,” said Syah.
Apart from the lamp, the Indonesian army also gave modified stove, Kombara, that uses wood instead of kerosene which is equipped with a fan and pot.
“Kombara is meant to anticipate kerosene scarcity,” said Wirawan.
Meanwhile, Mogantara or BBG (gas fuelled pedicab) modified by the army for pedicab drivers.
Mogantara uses three kilogram of gas canister, cost for Rp 20,000, that can run for four days. Gas fuelled pedicab is considered more efficient compare to gasoline pedicab which cost Rp 20,000 per day.
Wirawan said that BBG will be given to 20 pedicab drivers in Langsa. However, there were only two pedicab modified by the army so far as the program was more focusing on the lamp and the stove.
“We have installed ten units of lamps, modified five units of pedicabs and seven units of Kombara up to date. We are targeting [to install] as much as possible and without time limits,” he said adding that cost for modifying a pedicab is Rp 500,000. Ivo Lestari