Ctg grapples with frequent power cuts

Frequent power cuts over the last week have left residents of Chattogram suffering.
“Load-shedding takes place 8-9 times a day. I have to keep using a hand fan as my four-year-old cannot sleep at night due to the heat amid power cuts,” said Shubhechchha Ghosh, a resident of Askar Dighir Par area.
Like her, thousands of the port city area residents of Chawk Bazar, Panchlaish, Katalganj, Sulakbahar, Bakalia, Kazir Dewri, Love Lane, Jubilee Road, Teri Bazar, Hazari Goli, Andar Killah, Dewan Bazar, Room Ghata, Dewanji Pukur Par, Sub Area, Nawab Sirajuddaullah Road, Telipatti Road, Lal Chand Road, Joy Nagar, Munshi Pukur Par, Hamzarbagh, Bibirhat, Oxygen, Chatteshwari Road and Lalkhan Bazar are suffering.
“Despite it being autumn, the temperature is quite high,” said Dipankar Barua of Oxygen area.
According to Chattogram Met Office, the highest temperature in the city was recorded as 32.7 degrees Celsius yesterday, while average humidity was 65 percent.
“When humidity is higher than 50 percent, people feel more heat,” said Ismail Bhuiyan, forecast officer of Chattogram Met Office.
According to Power Development Board officials in Chattogram, the demand for power in the port city considerably exceeds the national grid supply.
Akbar Hossain, assistant director of PDB, Chattogram, said they are getting 150MW less than the daily demand.
Chattogram’s average daily demand is 1,200MW in peak hours and 1,100MW in off-peak hours.
“Last Thursday, it was 1,189MW at 11:00am, while 1,042MW power was available, causing a deficit of 147MW, resulting in load-shedding,” he said.
The 22 power plants in Chattogram region — including five units of Kaptai, two units of Raozan, two units of Shikalbaha, and Matarbari Power Plant — jointly generated 1,637MW on Thursday — significantly higher than Chattogram’s daily demand.
“Electricity generated by power plants are directly supplied to the national grid and we receive power from them, not directly from the power plants,” Akbar explained.