Blackout grips Secretariat for 20 minutes
Thursday, 6 May 2010
A vast area of the central part of the capital, including the Bangladesh Secretariat, plunged into a blackout Wednesday following a major technical fault at the Dhanmondi grid substation, reports UNB.
The whole power supply to the Cabinet Division and other ministries at the Secretariat came to a halt at about 2:20 pm, with the situation persisting for about 20 minutes.
Official sources at the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), which controls the area, said they restored power supply to the Secretariat through an emergency alternative line. Despite that, power disruptions took place in the Secretariat several times and continued for 5-6 minutes on each occasion.
Apart from the Secretariat, different areas in the central and old parts of the city including Motijheel, Segunbagicha, Kakrail, Dilkusha, Bijoynagar, Paltan, Dhaka University, National Press Club, Dhaka Club, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Lalbagh experienced massive load shedding due to the fault at the substation.
Sources said a technical fault occurred at the Dhanmondi Grid substation that led to a breakdown of a circuit-breaker there. This immediately affected the Ramna Substation which mainly controls the power supply to the central part of the city including the Secretariat.
Power supply went off at the Secretariat and many officials became stranded in the elevators. The lift-technicians then rescued them through manual operation of the lifts.
Even the Bidyut Bhaban, which is located adjacent to the Secretariat and houses the country's main power control system and also the headquarters of the DPDC, faced blackouts brought on by the interruption in the power supply.
The whole power supply to the Cabinet Division and other ministries at the Secretariat came to a halt at about 2:20 pm, with the situation persisting for about 20 minutes.
Official sources at the Dhaka Power Distribution Company (DPDC), which controls the area, said they restored power supply to the Secretariat through an emergency alternative line. Despite that, power disruptions took place in the Secretariat several times and continued for 5-6 minutes on each occasion.
Apart from the Secretariat, different areas in the central and old parts of the city including Motijheel, Segunbagicha, Kakrail, Dilkusha, Bijoynagar, Paltan, Dhaka University, National Press Club, Dhaka Club, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Lalbagh experienced massive load shedding due to the fault at the substation.
Sources said a technical fault occurred at the Dhanmondi Grid substation that led to a breakdown of a circuit-breaker there. This immediately affected the Ramna Substation which mainly controls the power supply to the central part of the city including the Secretariat.
Power supply went off at the Secretariat and many officials became stranded in the elevators. The lift-technicians then rescued them through manual operation of the lifts.
Even the Bidyut Bhaban, which is located adjacent to the Secretariat and houses the country's main power control system and also the headquarters of the DPDC, faced blackouts brought on by the interruption in the power supply.