Checking power, water and gas wastage

FE Team | Published: October 06, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Khalilur Rahman Checking illegal use of electricity, water and gas still remains a far cry. The way these precious resources is being wasted, in many cases in full public view, it is not difficult to assume that the authorities concerned are, in effect, encouraging this evil practice. On September 13 last, a local daily published a photograph clearly showing how the vendors are illegally using electricity from the main supply line in their open air shops just in front of the National Museum in the city. The caption of the photograph stated that there are 11 tea stalls, three mobile soft drink and many fast food shops running with electricity taken from the main line in that busy area. This act is so open that it agitates public mind how such illegal power users can evade detection by the relevant agencies. In contrast, the same newspaper published a photograph where all sections of people including teachers, students and farmers blocked a highway in Birganj Upazila in Dinajpur district protesting frequent power failures. In fact, frequent load-shedding is most common in cities, towns and rural areas now. This has caused enormous sufferings to the consumers as well as loss of production in fields and factories. In this connection we may recall the observations made earlier by Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina, while speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of a 50-MW peaking power plant at Katakhali in Rajshahi. The PM had noted that her government has given utmost priority to reduce power deficit and it was being supplied to houses, business establishments, mills and factories involving a large amount of subsidy. Therefore, she asked the consumers to maintain austerity and check wastage of electricity. What the Prime Minister said with regard to austerity in power use and check wastage should be followed in letter and spirit for the sake of national interest. The country reels under the shortage of power supply affecting production in fields and factories and causing utmost difficulties to increasing number of consumers. We also strongly feel that the authorities concerned have much to do to check wastage of power. In this connection it may be mentioned that the systems loss which is euphemism for outright theft is now around 10 per cent. In addition to this, alleged bungling with the regular maintenance and overhauling of power plants also results in wastage of public money. The old power plants are reportedly not being properly rehabilitated. As a result, we get lesser output while old plants consume more energy. Earlier in this column we reported that in gas sector, a sizeable volume of it, supplied for domestic and commercial use, goes waste in the absence of preventive measures. Large-scale wastage of gas takes place in households where many residents are found keeping switches of their burners on most of the time only to save a matchstick. They also use gas for drying up of wet clothes, particularly in rainy season. Tampering with gas meters, in industrial units, has also been reported. Turning to water supply we find that the rate of wastage is too high. It is known to all that in different parts of Dhaka city, a large number of people continue to suffer from an acute shortage of water supply, especially during dry season. The Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) blames load-shedding, fall in underground water levels and wastage by the consumers for the prevailing situation. The wastage of water through faulty sanitary fittings in households and other establishments and leakages in WASA supply pipelines are also responsible for the shortage. The WASA authority says that the consumers often keep their taps open even when they are not using water. The consumers, on the other hand, say that the WASA is found to be indifferent to the need for repairing faulty supply lines quickly through which a huge volume of water is wasted every day. Sometimes the roads under which pipelines are laid become flooded due to leakages developed on those. It takes a long time for the WASA to repair the faults causing wastage of water. Efforts to resolve the problem and educate people about how to check misuse of water are utterly lacking. E-mail : khalilbdh@gmail.com