Be prudent in using electricity

Bangladesh now has a power generation capacity in excess of 21,000 megawatt (MW) against the average demand for 9,000 MW. So, living in the dark due to power outage should have been a matter of the past for us. But things are not as rosy as the statistics. Load-shedding is back and has once again started to plunge us into darkness. Our patience is wearing thin in the face of unannounced and prolonged power outages that have started to take a toll on our livelihoods as well, particularly in the past two weeks. Some of the power cuts last more than an hour. And it is happening four to five times a day in Dhaka city. In rural areas, people have long accepted repeated power outages as a fact of life and stopped bothering about it.

Since 2018, many people living in Dhaka have become so accustomed to living a life with electricity that its disruption seems to be a deprivation of a privilege once granted. According to the state minister for power, energy and mineral resources, power production is being disrupted due to shortage of gas. In this situation, what we all need to do is to be extra cautious in using electricity. If we become economical and increase our savings, the saved electricity can be used for others. So, every time you leave your room, please make sure that you are turning the fan and lights off.

Saiful Islam (Ehaan),

Student of Department of Management,

Dhaka College, Dhaka,

ehasha.01@gmail.com