Sylhet gets one third of power needed
Severe power outage in sultry summer heat has made life miserable in Sylhet.
The situation is critical for last several weeks as load shedding reached the highest ever, alongside rise in day temperature.
This is also affecting small industries and tea processing in gardens.
Three power stations in the region are producing 147 to155 MW electricity a day on an average while the supply varies between 53 and 58 MW during off-peak hours and between 30 and 32 MW during peak hours.
Frequent load shedding for hours has become normal in the city and other areas.
In addition to local arrangement, the National Load Despatch Centre (NLDC) controls things round the clock. None can say when there will be power outage and when not.
On Thursday, only 5 Megawatt power was supplied during day time and 17 MW at night in areas under Sylhet Sales and Distribution Division-1 against the demand for 40 MW where there are over 50,000 subscribers.
Thirty-six thousand subscribers under Sylhet Sales and Distribution Division-II got only 5 MW during day time ad 10 MW at night on that day against a demand for 22 MW.
In Division III, 17,000 subscribers were supplied with only 4 MW power during day time and 8 MW during night against a demand for 18 MW on Thursday.
On the other hand, 1,52, 000 subscribers under Sylhet Palli Bidyut Samity-1 got only 5 MW and 11 MW respectively during the periods on Thursday. The demand was 41 MW.
In Sylhet Palli Bidyut Samity-2 36,200 subscribers got only 2 and 4 MW power respectively during day time and at night against a demands for 8 MW on Thursday.
At hospitals, including Osmani Medical College Hospital and Shahid Dr. Shamsuddin Hospital, patients often undergo risk as generators can not supplement power outages for long. At times emergency operations are done at high risk, authorities there told his correspondent.
When contacted, an official of Power Development Board (PDB) said, the have nothing to do since things are beyond their control. “We have to stop power supply in areas even after midnight. The picture is worse in rural areas”, he admitted.
On the other hand, the weather is behaving abnormally, adding to the sufferings for people in the sultry summer.
Officials at the meteorological department said, only 68 mm rainfall was recorded during last 15 days of May, which is lowest in 12 years. Normally, 510 to 550 mm rainfall should have been recorded in the district, they said.
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