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Rintu Anwar 27 July 2022, 19:57
The power sector is suffering. - File image
Earth's atmosphere is heating up like a factory boiler chamber. Many countries are currently experiencing a heat wave at the same time. As a result, intense heat is felt in our country. It is as if the heat of summer is going on in nature. The public life of a large area of the country, including the capital, was destroyed by heat. The temperature in Bangladesh has been rising from 36 to 39 degrees Celsius for several days. It will increase in the next few days, if there is no heavy rain.
Meteorologists have identified less rainfall, reduced wind speed, excess water vapour, and a narrowing of the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures for the intense heat waves in recent years. For the past few days, the weather has been holding Rudramurti. Scattered clouds in the sky like Autumn and Hemantkal and intense dry heat at the same time. As a result, the people of Bangladesh have to bear the pain of scorching heat even during the rainy season.
Among them, power outages (load shedding) have become severe. The electricity hide and seek game is going on. Common people are now suffering from the pain of loadshedding in this Vapsa summer. People's life has become miserable. Load shedding is not new in our country, it is a daily occurrence. There is no denying the dangers of load shedding. There is nothing to hide. However, the field of politics is open. Anyone can say whatever they want about it.
The opposition is saying that this is the result of looting in the name of quick rental. BNP is the government's target. The government is responsible for responding to the complaints of this group only. The reply of Obaidul Quader, general secretary and spokesperson of the ruling party, is that BNP leaders do not agree with the talk about loadshedding. People have not forgotten the load shedding of BNP era.
Electricity is not really a matter of counter-complaints. Again, refutation of accusations in poetry and beautiful words is not the solution to the problem. It is not that the government is not trying to find a solution. The government is giving priority to this issue. In the meantime, the Prime Minister, the prime minister, has called for cost-effectiveness in the use of electricity and fuel oil. All types of lighting are banned. People have also been instructed not to drive unnecessarily, not to burn too much oil.
These are only attempts by the government to reduce the demand for electricity through load shedding. The advisor on the issue held a three-hour meeting at the Prime Minister's office with those concerned about the electricity situation. Taufiq e Elahi. There is talk of reducing office-court hours. Besides, work from home is also being considered, said this adviser to the Prime Minister on energy. He referred to the current situation as 'war'.
The war did not come suddenly. This was feared for the last few months. But it was not implemented effectively. Although it is now called a 'war situation', it is also called a 'temporary' problem from government circles. According to the advisor, there may be a demand of up to 14,500 in the grid till September. From there the idea is to reduce as much as possible. If affordable, it may be possible to reduce the demand to 12,500. But this is not a permanent solution at all. Sources in the energy and power sector have different reports, some of which have been disclosed by the state minister without concealment.
There is a hint of the complexity of the problem in the Prime Minister's suggestion to divide the area of load shedding. In the midst of this, the state minister of energy and electricity has some hints about fuel oil. In view of the increase in oil and gas prices in the world market, while informing about the country's energy situation, he also hinted at increasing the price of fuel oil in the changed situation. He also urged to be frugal in the use of gas.
One of the good news for the people of the country was the departure of load shedding after the increase in power generation capacity. For many, it was like a painful memory. That load shedding pain is back. It is all over the country including the capital. Great relief has taken place behind the cover of bravado. Subsidies have also gone behind the story of electricity.
It's not like there was no talk about it. It did not take effect. Attempts have been made to run anti-government in the name of anti-development. Daribajara took the opportunity. Currently, the power generation capacity in the country is 25 thousand megawatts. The government has a target to raise it to 60,000 megawatts by 2041.
Due to this, the liabilities and debts of the government companies in the management of the power sector have also increased by taking loans from various local and foreign sources, which amount to more than 2 lakh 18 thousand crore rupees. The burden of this has to be borne by the state-owned companies of the power sector. Bangladesh Power Development Board-BPDB is struggling to pay the power plant's capacity charges due to the discrepancy in the purchase and sale price of the generated electricity.
In addition to the burden of debt or debt, a huge amount of outstanding bills has accumulated at the institutional level. On the other hand, institutions have to rely on loans from the government. Lack of effective planning of the power sector has only made the sector suffer day by day.
Rooppur nuclear power project is the most expensive in the history of power sector in the country. One lakh 14 thousand crore rupees are being spent on the construction of the power plant. Russia has financed most of the construction of this power plant with a capacity of 2,400 megawatts. The amount of loan given by the country in the project is 91 thousand 40 crores. The first unit of the project is expected to be in production by February 2024. Repayment of the project is scheduled to begin by 2027. What will happen until then? The answer to this question
