Photo : Collected
Due to severe flooding in Bangladesh, a total of 1,197,000 customers from 11 Palli Vidyut Samiti and Power Development Board (PDB) areas are currently without electricity.
The flooding has resulted in the submersion of several substations and the closure of 21 substations in the Feni region alone.
This disruption affects approximately 1.1 million customers from the Palli Vidyut Samiti and around 97,000 customers from the PDB.
Seven rivers in the country are still flowing above the danger level, with 12 monitoring stations reporting critical conditions.
According to the Bangladesh Rural Development Board, out of a total of 174 substations, 208 out of 21,908 11 KV feeders are closed. Significant damage has been reported, including 719 electric poles worth Tk 2.88 crore, 328 transformers valued at Tk 2.46 crore, 2,225 spans costing Tk 1.69 crore, 319 insulators worth Tk 2.19 lakh, and 7,499 electricity meters valued at Tk 90 lakh. The total estimated damage so far is Tk 7.96 crore.
Rezaul Karim, the newly appointed Chairman of the Power Development Board (PDB), stated, "We are closely monitoring the situation and will resume work as soon as water levels decrease. Power supply cannot be safely restored until lines are inspected."
The disruption is primarily due to safety concerns, as continued power supply amidst flooding could lead to serious accidents. The Rural Electricity Development Board (REB) reports that 12 Palli Vidyut Samiti areas are affected, with a total of 10,97,960 consumers currently without power. Specific regions affected include Chandpur (5,350), Noakhali (2,55,700), Feni (4,41,546), Lakshmipur (20,000), Comilla (75,000), Chittagong (2,000), Cox's Bazar (50,000), Moulvibazar (42,000), and Brahmanbaria (15,000).
In addition, PDB reported the closure of the 33/12 KV substation at Chauddagram due to flooding. The damage includes 9 transformers, 44-meter poles, 3 km of 33 KV lines, 15 km of 11 KV lines, 18 km of 11/0.4 KV lines, and 17 km of 0.4 KV lines. The preliminary loss for PDB is estimated at Tk 60 lakh.
The floods have displaced nearly 300,000 people, who are taking refuge in emergency shelters. The severe weather, caused by heavy monsoon rains, has already claimed at least 18 lives in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, power lines in flood-affected areas have been kept disconnected to prevent accidents, Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan said on Saturday.
"We have already prepared a list of damages. As soon as the water recedes, we will quickly restore the power lines," the adviser said during an inspection of a solar power plant near Paturia Ghat in Manikganj's Shibaloy Upazila.
The adviser further alleged that there had been widespread irregularities in the power and energy sector in the past.
He said, "In 2010, a law was passed that exempted projects from competitive bidding, enabling favouritism and arbitrary price increases.
"The goal was to buy electricity at higher prices through irregularities and sell it to consumers at inflated rates."
Fouzul also mentioned that previously, the Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC) had to approve any increase in electricity or fuel prices. However, a clause was added last year that allowed the government to increase prices at its discretion.
He assured that such arbitrary price hikes would no longer be tolerated.
The adviser added, "On the first day of assuming my duties, I stopped the implementation of the 2010 law. Similarly, the government's power to increase prices has also been revoked."
Messenger/Fameema
