The game of power outage

The authority has already started a rationing system of the power supply to address the problem but it has hardly provided ample remedy to the city-dwellers. Perhaps worst hit by the pinch of erratic loadshedding are the examinees of the next Secondary School Certificate (SSC).

Residents of some city areas allege that the system has not been working due to the favouritism the authority shows to some posh areas. The officials concerned seemed to consider some areas as more privileged than others, they alleged.

The city's Jamal Khan, Khulshi, Nasirabad and Mehdibag areas are considered, among a few others, as the most privileged areas in terms of smooth power supply.

"Of these, Jamal Khan area rarely experiences any power shortage because the PDB officers' colony is located there," said an inhabitant of the area seeking anonymity.

A PDB source said the other three areas are also considered privileged since they are known as posh locations where the rich section of society resides.

Power Development Board (PDB) officials, however, attributed the crisis to falling gas pressure at some of their power plants. The plants are dependent on gas, and officials apprehend that the situation may worsen in the ensuing summer if the gas-fired plants are not supplied with adequate gas.

On an average, Chittagong needs around 435 MW to 460 MW of power everyday but in reality it was receiving about 100 to 150 MW and sometimes far less for the last few weeks, causing untold sufferings to the common people.

"We have been compelled to pursue high loadshedding ever since the gas shortfall struck us in January," said Rafiqul Alam, an official of PDB.

He said, "We couldn't produce even 50 percent of the total required generation due to the low pressure of gas at three of our plants -- Raozan Unit-1 and Unit-2 with 220 MW capacity each, and Shikalbaha 60 MW plant. The crisis has continued for about a month."

Sources said both the Raozan plants was generating some 110 MW each against their daily total capacity of 440 MW, while the Shikalbaha is providing only 40 MW or less against its capacity of 60 MW. On the other hand, three out of five units of Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Plant were generating 140 MW against 230 MW each day. Two units of Kaptai have remained out of function for the last few months and officials could not say whether they would resume generation or not.

A total of around 630 MW of power is generated in Chittagong when all the power plants, including Raozan Plant, Kaptai Plant and Shikalbaha Plant, are in full operation.