Half a million Bagerhat customers without power two days after Cyclone Remal

Around half a million customers of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board in Bagerhat have been without electricity for two days after Cyclone Remal devastated the district’s utility system.

Zahangir Hossain, a member of Karapara Union Council in Sadar Upazila, said power connections to more than 4,000 customers in his ward were cut off on Sunday afternoon before the storm hit the coasts that night.

The connections were yet to be restored on Tuesday afternoon.

“People can’t charge their mobile phones. Meat and fish are rotting in the freezers. In some places, mobile networks and the internet are down. People abroad can’t communicate with their family members here,” Zahangir said.

Munim Raihan, a resident of Badekara village, said a large mahogany tree fell on the power cables outside his home during the storm, but the authorities sent no one to repair the lines.

“We ourselves are taking an initiative to cut and remove the tree,” he said.

Sushanta Roy, the general manager of Bagerhat Rural Electrification Society, said they used many workers to reopen two substations at Mongla EPZ and BSCIC Industrial City despite adverse weather conditions on Monday, but wind gusts forced them to shut the substations again in the afternoon.

“Hundreds of workers have been working in different parts of the district since Tuesday morning. Power supply will resume gradually in all areas. Some will get power today, but I can’t confirm the number,” he said.

“And it cannot be said for sure when it will be possible to fully restore the connections,” Sushanta added.

Cables were snapped in 702 points as more than 1,500 trees fell on the lines, 130 poles were uprooted, 35 transformers were destroyed and 394 meters were broken during the storm, according to him.

The Bagerhat Rural Electrification Society has 485,000 customers, he said.