Power outage and scarcity of water have turned serious in Sylhet city for the last few days, causing immense sufferings to the people.

Currently, the city is getting only 50MW power against the total demand for 100MW, said sources at Power Development Board, Sylhet.

The city corporation is supplying only one-third of the demand of water to the residents of limited areas.

For the last few days, the greater Sylhet region is getting only 130 to 150 MW of electricity a day against the demand for 250 to 270 MW, PDB officials said. The residents outside city areas are worse sufferers.

Work in the tea processing plants in the region is also being hampered due to severe power outage and erratic power supply, said sources at different tea gardens.

In Sylhet city, Shahjalal Upashahar, South Surma, Taltala, Subid Bazar,

Afnbslrlbihrta, Mendibagh, Shibganj and Akhalia areas are worst sufferers due to frequent load shedding and water crisis.

The situation paralyses life of city people amid the sweltering summer heat, a number of residents said.

Sylhet City Corporation officials said water cannot be lifted regularly from the pumps as they remain inoperative most of the time due to load shedding and voltage fluctuation.

Patients at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital suffer a lot due to scarcity of drinking water and erratic power supply.

“Three of the five tube-wells of the hospital remain inoperative due to decline in the groundwater level," said a physician.

During a visit to the hospital recently, this correspondent saw attendants of patients crowding two tube-wells to collect drinking water.

Hospital officials said they are facing difficulty in operating medical equip-

ment incIuding'MRi fnachine ahd radiotherapy machine due to power outage.

The lone power generator of the hospital remains inoperative for long for reasons unknown, said a hospital insider.

The city corporation’s age-old water pumps remain inoperative most of the time due to frequent load shedding. The corporation is now supplying some 22,500 gallons of water against the demand of about 65,000 gallons, corporation sources said.

Sylhet city Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran told The Daily Star that the existing water crisis will be solved to some extent when three newly installed deep tube-wells will be put on operation after a few months.

A revised Tk 80 crore project for water supply and sanitation programme in Sylhet city is awaiting approval from the higher authority, he said.

Under the project, two water treatment plants and new water distribution lines will be installed in the city areas.