|
April
29, 2000
Pabna,
Apr 28 (UNB) – Uninterrupted irrigation, which is crucial for a good
harvest, still remains a far cry in the country’s northern region,
as load-shedding has reappeared rather in a worse form.
Irrigation
on Boro paddy fields is seriously being hampered due to erratic power
supply attributed to deplorable condition of power plans in the
region.
Production
in mills and industries in 16 northern districts also faces the same
fate.
Sources
at Power Development Board said the region faces 100- 150 megawatts
load-shedding a day as only 150-200 megawatts electricity are supplied
in the districts against the demand for 350 megawatts during dry
season.
They
said a 71-megawatt power plant in Baghabari was shut down on January
13 due to mechanical fault and it may take one year to repair it.
Besides,
power generation in two plants in Katadoshi of Rajshahi remained
suspended since September 20, 1999.
The
sources said the entire power-line -- from the national grid to
transformers -- of the region are in deplorable condition, causing
frequent power disruption.
Most
of the transformers have become obsolete and often burst in flame,
cutting off power supply.
At
present, 143 megawatts of electricity are generated and distributed in
the northern region through the national grid. The plant-wise breakup
of the power generation: 91 megawatts in barge-mounted Bejoyer Alo in
Baghabari, 20 mws in Rangpur, 22 in Syedpur, 5 mws in Bogra, four mws
in Thakurgaon.
The
232-kv line installed in Ishwardi for the region comes over the Jamuna
river through National Grid and the power is supplied to 14 grid
stations through a 132-kv line to send it to the substations and
feeders through various capacitors transformers of 33-kv lines.
The
electricity finally reaches houses, mills and factories through small
transformers of 11-kv lines.
There
are eight 230-kv substations in the country of which only one is
located in Ishwardi thana for the northern region.
Fifty-eight
of the substations are 132-kv of which 14 are situated in Bogra,
Ishwardi, Natore, Polashbari, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Syedpur, Shahjatpur,
Thakurgaon, Pabna, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj, Lalmonirhat and Naogaon.
Any
major fault in any part of east-west inter-connection line that
occurred six times in last few years may plunge the entire area into
darkness, said an official adding that the northerners had faced such
a situation for three days in 1996.
He
said the condition of substations in Rajshahi, Bogra and Thakurgaon
districts are even worse while some others are losing their capacities
gradually.
A
senior official said the PDB has no plan to change the old machines or
set up high-power line in the northern region in the current or the
next fiscal years.
He
said to bear the mounting pressure of power supply the region needs
more transformers, “but to the best of my knowledge no measure has
yet been taken to set up more transformers in the region.”
Meanwhile,
some 20,000 irrigation pumps in the region have become inoperative,
affecting boro padding.
Although
PDB asked the farmers to operate their pumps in between 11pm and 6am,
but they cannot follow the schedule because of low-voltage.
Some
12 lakh acres of land were brought under boro cultivation in the
current season of which four lakh acres remain out of irrigation
facility.
|
