Power outage amid heat wave multiplies Ctg residents’ woes
Chattogram has been experiencing frequent power outages for a week, causing immense suffering to the city dwellers.
The sufferings have multiplied due to sharp rise in temperature across the country.
In the port city, the highest temperature was recorded at 34.7 degree Celsius on Saturday and Sunday and it was 34.8 degree Celsius on Monday, said Bishwajit Chowdhury, forecast officer of Chattogram Met Office.
The official said humidity was recorded at 68 percent on Monday.
“If the level of humidity remains between 45 percent and 50 percent, people will not feel intensity of the heat,” he said.
Sharmin Akter, a resident of the city’s Bakalia area, said, “We are facing power outage for five to six times a day.”
“My one-year-old daughter could not sleep at all last night [Sunday] due to severe heat coupled with frequent load-shedding,” she said.
Like Sharmin, many residents from different areas -- including Halishahar, Bahaddarhat, Oxygen, Agrabad, Chawkbazar, Battery Goli, Askar Dighir Par, Anderkilla, Shulakbahar, Panchlaish, Muradpur and Bibirhat -- have suffered in the last one week due to frequent power outage.
However, Power Development Board (PDB) officials claimed that there is no load-shedding in the city.
But, Dr Murad Hasan, state minister for Health and Family Welfare, expressed his dissatisfaction at the situation. He attended an iftar and doa mahfil at a community centre in Panchlaish area on Friday. While he was speaking, electricity went out three times in 20 minutes.
Rajib Ahmed, a resident of Baro Quarter area, said they have faced load-shedding four to five times a day.
“Amid scorching heat, we cannot stay inside house without switching on a fan. Our suffering knows no bound during load-shedding,” he said.
Prabir Kumar Sen, chief engineer of PDB, Chattogram, explained the situation differently. He said the total demand of power in Chattogram is 1,600 megawatt (MW) during peak hours and 1,200 MW in off-peak hours.
Claiming that they are able to meet the demand, he said, “We receive adequate quantity of electricity from national grid.”
When asked why those areas have experienced power outage, Prabir said, “In cases, we have to interrupt power supply for repair works,” he said, adding that same situation prevails during maintenance work in certain areas.
Comments