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No steps yet to ease Sylhet power crisis

IQBAL SIDDIQUEE, Sylhet
Power outage for hours has become an every day affair in Sylhet region, causing great inconveniences to people.
As in every year, the menace began this year with the beginning of summer. The situation deteriorated in recent weeks.
Small industries and other businesses are the worst sufferers. Even, transmission of programmes from Sylhet centre of Bangladesh Betar is interrupted at timed due to loadshedding, sources there said.
Sometimes the city dwellers in different areas remain without power for four to five hours a day.
The situation is precarious city
suburbs and rural areas. Once gone, nobody knows when power will return.
People in different upazilas also demonstrated demanding smooth supply of electricity, but to no effect.
A high official of Power Development Board here while talking to The Daily Star yesterday said peak hour (5 pm to 11 pm) demand for electricity in four districts of Sylhet division is 170 to 180 megawatt, but only about half of it is supplied from the National Grid.
"We have no alternative to loadshedding and keep areas in dark for hours alternately", the official said seeking anonymity. Power is distributed by the central load dispatch centre and nothing
can de done locally, he said.
"We have nothing to do to improve the situation unless supply from the National Grid is increased, which can not be expected soon", he sasid.
Besides, supply is interrupted sometimes due to ongoing rehabilitation work in distribution lines at places, he admitted.
Taking advantage of the situation, crimes like theft and mugging has increased in the city, a number of residents alleged while talking to this correspondent
Some residents in city suburbs like Khadimnagar, Tukerbazar Salutikor, Lalabazar, Srirampur, Kuchai, Hetimganj said they even do not get any response from the
'complaint centres'.
The power crisis is more in areas under Palli Bidut Samity (Rural Electrification Board), some people in rural areas said.
President of Golapganj Bazaar Committee at Golapganj upazila headquarters said, whenever power supply goes, no body can say when it will return.
"It has become an every day affair but we do not get any satisfactory answer from Palli Bidyut Samity office", said shopkeeper Anwarul Haque at the market.
But Palli Bidyut officials blame PDB for the crisis because they get power supply from PDB.