Surge in power demand outstrips supply amid heatwave

In a time of unprecedented electricity generation amid a record-breaking summer heatwave, the relentless surge in demand has outstripped available supply, making uninterrupted power provision next to impossible.

On days of severe shortages, the deficit can soar to a staggering 3,100 megawatts, with daily shortfalls fluctuating between 1,000 and 2,000 megawatts, which amounts to 13 percent of the maximum demand.

However, the distribution of load-shedding or blackouts of electricity supply is not equal across all areas. As a result, some regions experience minimal power disruptions, whereas others face longer outages.

In some places, load shedding lasts only about an hour, while in others, it extends up to 10 to 12 hours.

Certain critical installations exist where uninterrupted power supply must be maintained. These facilities have multiple lines so that if one fails, another can be activated. 

Excluding these, most of the deficit affects rural electrification areas.

April has been nearly rain-free, and with temperatures nearing 40 degrees Celsius over the past 10 days, heatwave warnings have been issued.

On Tuesday, Chuadanga reached 43.7 degrees, and Jashore hit a record 43.8 degrees Celsius, the second-highest in Bangladesh's history. Under such conditions, life becomes unbearable when power outages occur.

In regions most prone to heat, such as Jashore, Chuadanga, Joypurhat, and Nilphamari, customers report an improvement in outages compared to last year. 

Conversely, in areas like Greater Mymensingh, Noakhali, and Cumilla, residents describe the situation as unbearable.

In the same district, some areas may have no crisis, while others consider frequent power disruptions a normal occurrence.

Netrokona is receiving slightly more than half the power it needs, and while the situation in Northern Bangladesh was problematic last year, authorities are ensuring it remains manageable this year.

Mohammad Hossain, the director general of the Power Cell, said some pocket areas are facing issues. The problem lies in either the unavailability of fuel, shutdown of plants, or other reasons.

Electricity supply and production are region-specific, and transferring surplus power from one area to another to meet deficits is challenging. For instance, surplus power in the Barishal region cannot easily be used to address shortfalls in the Mymensingh area.

“And in some areas, demand has escalated to such a level that it has exceeded the capacity. For instance, in Noakhali, the demand is above average, yet the local infrastructure cannot handle the load, even though there is electricity available in the grid,” explained Hossain.

SHORTAGE DESPITE RECORD PRODUCTION

Since the heatwave began, the demand for power has fluctuated between 15,000 MW and 17,000 MW, while production has ranged from 13,000 MW to 16,500 MW, according to data analysis from the Bangladesh Power Development Board-PDB, and the Power Grid Company of Bangladesh, or PGCB.

The authorities had to shed a load of 2,000 MW per hour on average over the past week. At times, this dropped to below 500 MW. However, disruptions in the electricity imported from India pushed load shedding over 3,000 MW for several hours on Monday.

At 9pm on Tuesday, power production reached a new high of 16,477 MW, but with demand at 17,000 MW, there was still a shortfall of 500 MW so the load was shed.

Bangladesh has the capacity to generate 26,000 MW of electricity across its 150 power stations, but various factors currently prevent reaching this potential.

Officials say about 7 percent of generated power never reaches consumers due to internal consumption at power stations and losses during transmission, including systems losses. Therefore, when 16,500 MW is produced, only about 15,500 MW is available to consumers.

Hossain told bdnews24.com, "Although our production capacity is high, various limitations prevent us from meeting the demand. However, the situation has improved compared to last year, with only a few areas experiencing significant shortages.

He added that there is still some deficit in the Mymensingh region.

SITUATION IN DHAKA

In Dhaka’s Eskaton, the situation is quite bearable this year. Although there was a significant power shortage at the same time last year, residents are not experiencing the same difficulties now.

Shahidul Islam, a caretaker in the Gausnagar area, told bdews24.com: "It's much better than before. Last year, there was load shedding several times a day for about an hour each time, but now if it goes off, it comes back fairly quickly. There was an hour-long load shedding a few days ago."

Shifatullah Sharfi, a resident of Road No. 8 in Sector 5 of Uttara, is not worried about electricity. 

He said, "It doesn’t go off much, maybe once a day, sometimes not even once. If it goes, it comes back within half an hour or an hour."

Borhan Uddin, a resident of Laxmibazar area in Old Dhaka, said: "In the last week, there was load shedding once or twice a day, lasting no more than 20 minutes at a time. On Tuesday alone, it went off four times, returning within 10 to 20 minutes each time."

Kazi Rafiq, a resident of Mohammadia Housing Limited in Mohammadpur’s Shia Mosque area, is satisfied with the power supply. 

Regarding the power situation, he told bdnews24.com, "It's quite good. It goes off at most once a day."

When asked how long it takes for the power to return, he replied, "Sometimes an hour, sometimes half an hour."

He added, "No, you can't consider the whole of Mohammadpur based on my area alone. In extended areas of Mohammadpur like Nabinagar, Satmasjid Housing, and Chand Uddyan, load shedding lasts two to three hours. In Urdu-speaking camps, it lasts five to six hours."

Shamsuzzaman Shams, a resident of the Ambagan area near Jahangirnagar University in Savar, said: "During the day, the power goes out four to five times, and two to three times at night, not lasting more than an hour each time."

However, Shakil Hossain from College Road in Bank Colony said, "During the day, it goes out five to six times, each time not lasting an hour, and from evening until midnight, it’s the same."

Things are similar across the country. Some district towns have minimal power interruptions, while in others, the situation is unbearable. Even within the same district, some areas are comfortable while others are extremely frustrated.

CHATTOGRAM 'NOT DOING WELL'

Although the capital's situation is not too bad, Chattogram, the country's second major city, experiences frequent power cuts.

Speaking to bdnews24.com, Mohan Chowdhury, a resident of Love Lane in the city, said: "For more than two weeks, the power has been going out two to three times a day. When it goes, it takes 30 minutes to an hour to come back. At night, we are without electricity for about an hour."

In his words, the situation in other areas of the city is worse, with power outages occurring four to five times a day and one to two times at night.

The situation is reported to be even worse in Boalkhali Upazila under the Rural Electrification Board, according to Shubha Sen from Paschim Saruatuli village.

He said, "Including night and day, the power goes out six to eight times. When it goes, it sometimes does not come back for up to one and a half hours. In total, we are without power for 10 to 12 hours a day."

CONTRASTING SCENES IN THE SAME DISTRICT

Sajedur Rahman Bhuiyan resides in the Nagua area of Kishoreganj. 

He reports, "The electricity situation is excellent. After evening, it may go out once or twice, but it rarely lasts for an hour; often, it returns sooner."

However, his brother, Saidur Rahman Bhuiyan lives about six kilometres away in Rampur village, where the electricity connection is significantly less reliable.

He explains, "The electricity is rarely stable. There's no guarantee when it will come or go. Today (Wednesday), the service was excellent—it didn’t go out from morning until six o'clock.

"But on other days, it goes out three to four times, including at night. Sometimes it's out for half an hour, sometimes an hour, and sometimes it doesn’t return for two hours."

In Cumilla, journalist Mahfuz Nantu has a different experience. 

His home is in Shimra village of Adarsha Sadar Upazila, where he enjoys a better electricity supply than the city. 

Speaking to bdnews24.com, he said, "For the past few weeks, it only goes out for an hour at night, from 11pm to midnight."

Regarding the situation in the city, Mahfuz elaborates, "In the city areas like Thakurpara, Racecourse, Mogholtuli, and Kandirpara, the electricity situation is like rationing. If one area has power, another does not. Some days it goes out once, other days twice, and sometimes not at all."

Yet, in 14 Upazilas of the same district, life is marred by frequent power outages. 

When asked why, Mahfuz explains, "Those areas have a BSCIC industrial city (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation), and officials say the electricity demand there is quite high."

UNCONTROLLED BLACKOUTS IN MYMENSINGH REGION

Nazmul Islam Khan, a resident of Sankipara in Mymensingh city, said: "We are experiencing load shedding twice during the day and two to three times at night. The power outages last from 10 minutes to a maximum of one hour each time.

"Generally, our area didn't face load shedding, but adjusting to this frequent disruption over the past week has been difficult."

Nazrul Islam Mir, a resident of Gouripur Upazila, just outside the city, told bdnews24.com: "Since Eid, amid the severe heatwave, we're facing load shedding 10 to 12 times a day. For the past two days, there has been more load shedding during the day compared to the night."

Subrata Roy, the executive engineer of the Power Development Board or PDB in South Mymensingh, explained: "Due to the sudden increase in demand caused by the intense heatwave, load shedding has been occurring more frequently."

Residents across the greater Mymensingh region, including the districts of Tangail, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Netrokona, and Kishoreganj, are grappling with significant challenges with electricity supply, which is managed from the Mymensingh power grid. With a collective daily electricity demand ranging from 1350 to 1380 megawatts across these six districts, a shortfall of 200 to 220 megawatts continues to plague residents.

However, this discrepancy in electricity supply is far from equitable. In urban areas, essential facilities such as hospitals and army cantonment are provided with uninterrupted power. 

Consequently, cities within the Mymensingh region, including Mymensingh city itself, experience less load shedding than other areas.

The situation is particularly dire in Netrokona, where rural electrification covers only half the demand, and the PDB supplies only two-thirds of what is required. 

The reason for this lower supply in Netrokona has not been adequately addressed.

Assistant Engineer Barun Banerjee of the District Electricity Development Board told bdnews24.com, "Netrokona city has a demand of 22 to 24 megawatts, but only 14 to 15 megawatts are being supplied, meaning there is a one-third deficit. With the rise in temperatures, all nine feeders in the city are subjected to load shedding."

Susthir Sarkar from Moktarpara commented on the severe impact of these outages: "For the past nearly 20 days, we have experienced power cuts 8 to 9 times a day and night combined, with each outage lasting at least an hour. The heat is unbearable, and it's become impossible to sleep at night; many of us are falling ill due to the conditions."

Santosh Bishwasharma from Konura village in Kalmakanda Upazila echoed these sentiments. 

"It would be easier to answer how long we have electricity than how often it goes out. We have power for only about 10 to 12 hours a day," he said.

Nazrul Islam from Saguli village in Kendua Upazila said: "We have electricity for a highest of 11 to 12 hours a day at most."

Masum Ahmed, GM of the Netrokona Rural Electrification Society, told bdnews24.com, "During peak hours, the district's demand for rural electricity reaches 120 megawatts. In contrast, we only receive about 60 to 65 megawatts. This makes load shedding unavoidable."

WHERE THE SITUATION IS WORSE

While Cumilla city may have relatively better conditions, the situation in Chauddagram and Monohargonj Upazilas has been a cause for concern as residents have been voicing their grievances on social media platforms for the past month.

Abul Bashar Rana, a resident of Jatrapur village in Kashinagar Union, said: "Throughout the day, we experience load shedding every one or two hours. The problem intensifies after dusk. We notice electricity comes around 9 to 9:30pm, then it goes off again around 10:30pm and comes back between 1 and 1:30am.

"If people manage to fall asleep, it goes off again deep into the night. The condition of children in this heat is very bad. It has been the same for the past month."

Farhad Al Mahmud from Mandargao village in Baishgaon Union of Monohargonj Upazila said: "Electricity is intermittent throughout the day. After dusk, there's hardly any electricity. If it comes once after 10pm, it goes off shortly afterwards. If it comes back late at night, it doesn’t last long. 

“It feels like electricity is just giving us a missed call."

Mahabub Alam, a city resident, noted: "We used to have less load shedding in our area. Now, it happens during the day and night."

AR Azad Sohel from Maijdee City in Noakhali added: "The situation with the electricity supply has been very bad for the past week. When we call the electricity office, they say there’s a shortage of electricity, there are line problems, machine problems, and so on and so forth."

Nazim Uddin Milon, a businessman from Choumohani, commented: "While the situation is better at night, we experience more load shedding during the day. After the evening, there are two instances of load shedding each lasting an hour. During the day, electricity comes and goes."

Abdur Razzak from Noakhali Union said: "When it comes for an hour at night, it goes off for two hours. This has been the situation for the past week. The situation was better before."

Alamgir Hossain, a businessman from Pirojpur City, remarked: "For the past two days (Sunday and Monday), we have been experiencing hourly load shedding lasting an hour each time. This has caused great distress to the general public. The condition of the elderly and children is very severe."

RELIEF FOR KHULNA DIVISION, NORTH BENGAL

In the Khulna Division and northern Bengal, residents have been somewhat relieved by the electricity situation, despite temperatures being slightly higher than in other regions of the country. There had been warnings of potential electricity shortages during the irrigation season.

Shahinur Rahman from the Pakurtoli area in Joypurhat and Ujjwal Hossain from Baniapara, among several customers of rural electricity, said that rolling outages have been comparatively less than in previous years. 

This has not caused any significant issues for irrigating Boro paddy fields, with blackouts averaging two to three hours a day.

In the Aram Nagar area of the city, Omar Faruk Robin and Rasheduzzaman from Shantinagar said that for the past month, Northern Electricity Supply Company Limited or NESCO's electricity has been out for a maximum of one to one and a half hours within 24 hours. Sometimes, the electricity returns within 5 to 10 minutes of going out.

According to Mizanur Rahman Dulal from Hatibandha Upazila in Lalmonirhat, whereas other years saw 8 to 10 hours of load shedding, this year it has only been two to two and a half hours.

Sadekul Islam, a businessman from Aditmari Upazila, added: "Load shedding has significantly decreased. There's been a lack of electricity for about one and a half hours during the day. However, in the villages, electricity is not available for three to four hours."

This year, Chuadanga in the Khulna region has been recording some of the highest temperatures. Customers are quite satisfied there due to fewer issues with electricity fluctuations.

In the Chuadanga district, electricity distribution is managed by West Zone Power Distribution Company Limited or WZPDCL in the municipal areas and by rural electricity connections in the villages.

Momtaz Ara, a housewife from Courtpara in the city, said: "Overall, the electricity was out for about 30 to 40 minutes in the last three days. On Tuesday afternoon, there was no electricity for about 20 minutes, and on the previous day, Monday, it was out for about 15 minutes."

Mohammad Shohag, a customer of rural electricity in Damurhuda Upazila, said: "There are two to three instances of load shedding per day. Sometimes the electricity is out for half an hour, and sometimes for an hour. This has happened several times over the last three days, but the rest of the time it was fine."

SYLHET REGION RELAXED

This year, Sylhet has neither experienced a heatwave nor significant problems with electricity, unlike the previous two years when customers were exasperated with the supply during the summer.

Paruma Baidya, a resident of Moulvibazar district, said: "For the past 10 days, there has been a maximum of one hour of load shedding per day. Due to storms in the last two days, lines were down, and electricity was out. Otherwise, the situation was quite good."

There are currently no significant complaints about electricity in Habiganj and Sylhet.