Staff Reporter :
Residents of southern Bangladesh are experiencing acute load shedding in the scorching hot weather following the shutdown of one of the two units of the 1,320 MW Payra Thermal Power Plant on Monday.
Load shedding has increased in the Barishal Division and nearby Faridpur since the shutdown and commencement of maintenance work on the power plant unit on Wednesday, sources said.
Shah Mani Ziko, assistant manager of the power plant, stated that the maintenance work on the 660 MW unit might take an additional four to five days to complete.
Officials noted that the Payra Thermal Power Plant, a significant project for power generation, requires 45–50 days of maintenance annually.
“We are suffering from huge load shedding during this scorching hot weather. When load shedding starts, it takes a minimum of two to three hours for the electricity to come back again,” said Ali Hossain, a shop owner in Boalmari municipality in Faridpur district.
The prolonged load shedding has caused significant inconvenience for the residents, who are struggling to cope with the intense heat without a reliable power supply.
Residents of Patuakhali are currently grappling with severe issues caused by frequent power outages, exacerbated by inadequate electricity supply despite the presence of a local power plant.
According to Deen Mohammad Muhim, Executive Engineer of Patuakhali’s West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited, “The municipality requires 14 MW to serve its 32,000 consumers, but it has been receiving only 10–12 MW since Wednesday.”
“The shortfall has led to extensive load shedding even in urban areas,” as noted by journalist Mejbah Uddin Mannu from Kalapara upazila. He reported that load shedding persists for almost 12 hours each day, significantly impacting daily life, and people are suffering immensely as the temperature is higher this year in comparison to other years.
Jitendranath Roy, a resident of Baufal upazila town, highlighted, “The disruption caused to students preparing for upcoming HSC and equivalent exams, scheduled to begin on June 30.”
“Students’ education is being severely affected by the unbearable load shedding,” he emphasised.
It was known that the power plant, located in the Dhankhali area of Kalapara upazila, commenced operations with its first unit on January 10, 2020, followed by the second unit on August 26, 2020, administered by the Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB).
The facility supplies electricity to various parts of Barishal, Khulna, and Dhaka divisions.
Executive Engineer Muhim emphasised that their priority is to “manage the situation efficiently and minimise inconvenience to consumers as much as possible.”
Ziko, a maintenance expert, added that such efforts are essential for long-term benefits, stating, “Short-term discomfort leads to long-term reliability and efficiency.
The maintenance will ensure better service in the future, added Ziko.
“Local authorities are actively addressing the challenges on the ground. An anonymous assistant engineer noted, “We are trying to distribute the available power as fairly as possible. Our teams are on the ground, addressing issues swiftly.”
Residents, while understanding the necessity of the maintenance work, expressed hope for quicker resolutions and better management to alleviate their suffering. As Mannu, a resident of the area, commented, “We understand the necessity of maintenance, but we also hope for quicker resolutions and better management to minimise suffering.
Meanwhile, residents remain hopeful that the authorities’ efforts will lead to a swift resolution and a more robust and reliable power system in the future.