<i>Project to ease power crisis in Ctg</i>
Chittagong Power Development Board (PDB) will install 350-kilometre power distribution lines and renovate 153-kilometre old electricity lines in Chittagong division under a project this year.
Once the Tk 118 crore project is implemented, the people of remote areas in Chittagong division will get new power connections and the frequency of loadshedding in the port city will decline to some extent, PDB officials said.
The existing power lines face tremendous pressure because of the increasing demand for power and lack of initiative to renovate the lines. As a result, new connection seekers have to wait for long to get electricity connections, PDB sources said.
Under the new project, subscribers of Hathazari and Satkania upazilas under Chittagong and Chakaria under Cox's Bazar, Laksam and Chouddagram under Comilla and Burishchar under Brahmanbaria will get new power connections while some areas outside Feni, Comilla, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria and Khagrachhari towns will also reap benefits after a span of 25 years, they added.
Besides, five new sub-stations of 33/11 KV capacity and 174 new transformers will be installed under the project in the division.
The project was approved by Ecnec at a meeting in March and the process for planning, estimation and other related work will start this month, said PDB Superintendent Engineer Khandaker Azizur Rahman.
PDB acting Chief Engineer Shibu Kumar Chowdhury said the project aims to address the increasing demand and smooth supply of power in Chittagong region.
However, generating power in an affordable rate for the subscribers is needed to get rid of the acute power crisis facing the country for long, Shibu said, adding that the shortage of gas is the main reason disrupting power generation to a large extent.
He also said relocation of the garment factories and heavy industries outside the city will improve the situation in urban areas.
On the other hand, the Greater Chittagong Power Distribution Project (third phase) at a cost of Tk 870 crore has almost been completed last month.
Under the project, three 132/33 KV new substations at Julda and Shahmirpur on the south bank of the river Karnaphuli and Bakalia in the city while two other 33/11 KV substations at Rampur and Muradpur in the city were installed.
Besides, 1161-kilometre new distribution lines were installed and 1124-kilometre old lines were renovated under the project while 1500 distribution transformers were also installed in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar.
Khandaker Azizur Rahman, director of the project, said people of the port city have already started getting benefits from the project.
He said implementation of the two projects will help the people of this region avoid unexpected power disruption.
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