Tall tales about power generation

Promises about people's suffering from not having power coming to an end sooner rather than later, do hardly carry any weight. It was claimed by the relevant functionaries of the government that quick rental power plants would become operative soon and these would be adding substantial power to the national grid for assuaging the suffering of the people by the first quarter of the current calendar year. But March has now given way to April and the power supply is only getting only worse and worse. Probably, we are headed to face another severe power supply situation by the time of the arrival of the peak of the current summer season. What does it matter if two or three hundred megawatt of newly produced electricity is added to the national grid? The effects of it tend to get nullified soon afterwards by one big and old power plant or plants producing, say, three or four or six hundred megawatt, getting suddenly disabled and remaining that way for months for repair, before resuming functioning. This has been the scene in the power sector year after year--- one step forward followed by two or three steps backwards. In this way, people will never find any relief. If the government means business, it should not only aim to bring into operation the rental power plants quickly but simultaneously should attempt to repair and rehabilitate the old and ageing plants to keep them running without frequent breakdowns. Also it should make every effort to set up the bigger new power plants as per schedule. Only from work in all three areas in tandem in the power sector that the power supply situation can improve on a sustainable basis. Nurur Rahman Lalmatia, Dhaka