Frequent power outages have made public life in Rajshahi city miserable for the last 20 days.
Irregular electricity supply causes disruption to official activities, industrial production and household works in the city areas.
The authorities attributed the situation drastic fall in electricity supply from the national grid.
On the other hand, the irrigation schemes on the city outskirts are also being hampered due to frequent power failures.
Azad Hossain, chief engineer of Rajshahi Power Development Board (PDB), told the daily sun that they receive 40 per cent power of the total demand while the rest 60 per cent is distributed in nine upazilas of the district for irrigation in the current season as per government decision.
‘The main grid supplies around 42 megawatt power daily against the demand for 55MW both in the city and on its outskirts,’ he added.
‘We hope a rental electricity generation unit in Katakhali near Rajshahi city will produce more 100MW power from June or July this year and then the power crisis will go fully,” he added.
According to sources in the PDB, at present Rajshahi city needs around 30MW power, but of the total PDB has to distribute at least 18MW in nine upazilas for irrigation.
Consequently, the city dwellers are facing acute load shedding in their daily life.
“Most of the time (Except Fridays), we have to live without electricity,” said Akbarul Hasan, a resident of Uposhar under sector No 3.
“I am unable to use my generator which is run by high priced diesel and petrol. So I am compelled to shut my shop by 7.30 pm,” Arifur Rahman, owner of a rice shop at Shaheb Bazzar.
Besides, due to the acute electricity crisis, production in the local industrial units is facing a setback.
Liakot Ali, owner of a factory in the city, said, ‘Production in the city factories is being seriously hampered due to frequent load shedding.
“We have already discussed the situation with the PDB and pressed for immediate steps to resolve the crisis,” he added.
