Power supply will get back to normal by tomorrow

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FE Report
Energy and power adviser Tapan Chowdhury said Monday power supply in almost all the areas across the country, including the southern cyclone-hit districts, will get back to normalcy by November 21 next.
"And, by November 30 next the entire area under the supply network will get electricity," he stated while briefing the newsmen in the conference room of the Power Division.
According to Power Division, electricity supply in the flood-hit areas, especially at Kalapara of Patuakhali, Terokhada of Khulna, Babuganj of Barisal and Lalmohon, Monpura and Charfashion of Bhola, has already been restored.
Monday's countrywide electricity generation during daytime reached around 2,986 megawatts (MW) and it is expected that it might reach 3,469 MW in the evening.
During Thursday's cyclone the transmission and distribution systems of electricity, especially in the country's hurricane-affected southern region, was affected badly leading to failure of the national power grid twice on the following day.
Speaking at the press conference Tapan Chowdhury admitted that there was a gap in coordination among the power sector entities for cyclone preparedness.
He, however, said the country's power sector entities always coordinate themselves to maintain uninterrupted power supply across the country.
The power adviser was also critical of the country's independent power plants (IPPs) saying the failure of the national grid could be tackled if the IPPs were more vigilant.
Some 29 Palli Biddut Samities (PBSs), 56 sub-stations and 25 electricity towers were affected across the country by the cyclone, REB Chairman Habib Ullah Majumder said.
He said some 1,722 electric poles broke down and 7,679 more were damaged during the hurricane.
A total of 365 teams are now working across the country to repair the damage and a control room has been opened to monitor the rehabilitation activities.
Currently, some 16 power plants across the country remained closed either for overhauling or for gas supply shortage.
Electricity supply in the Rauzan power plant of Chittagong is now being hampered due to gas supply problem.
Power Division secretary M Fouzul Kabir Khan, Dhaka Electric Supply Company Ltd (DESCO) Chairman Saleh Ahmed and senior officials of the power division were present during the press conference.