With Cyclone Mocha approaching the coastal areas of Bangladesh at a windspeed of 200kmph, Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board has given instructions to take all kinds of measures during this time.
It has been instructed to identify the areas that are most likely to be affected by the cyclone and take special measures in those places to minimize damages.
"We have taken all kinds of preparations. Special committees have been formed in each Rural Electrification Board. The control rooms were already in place, but the manpower has been increased,” said Debashish Chakraborty, a member of the Rural Electrification Board (Development and Planning).
He said that in case of damage to wires and transformers in the storm, all types of machinery have been kept in remote areas so that they can be repaired immediately after the storm stops.
According to Rural Electrification Board sources, all Palli Bidyut Samity in their covered coastal areas is ready to tackle Cyclone Mocha. They noted the storm is feared among them due to its high speed.
Abu Bakar, senior general manager of Chittagong PBS-1 of the Rural Electrification Board, said: “We have made a total of 105 teams. Some of them will do monitoring work, some will repair, and some will handle the control room.”
“Our Cox's Bazar Palli Bidyut Samity is going to face the biggest loss in the cyclone. All the concerned Palli Bidyut Samity officials held a virtual meeting on Saturday to discuss what kind of damage can happen and what steps can be taken to deal with it,” he added.
Alongside Chittagong, the regions of Khulna and Barisal are also at risk for Cyclone Mocha. Therefore, the distribution workers in these areas have been instructed to remain vigilant.
In addition, the Rural Electrification Board is providing uninterrupted power supply in larger areas of Khulna and Barisal.
Abu Hasan, the chief engineer of the organization, stated: "We have strengthened monitoring from the control room. The substation officials and employees have been informed to keep their mobile phones charged and store dry food."
“We don't have a full holiday anyway. We do rotation work. Now, due to the emergency, no one has been granted any kind of leave. Everyone has been asked to stay in the office,” he added.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) said that the low pressure created in the Bay of Bengal due to Cyclone Mocha may hit Cox's Bazar and other places in Bangladesh in the form of a very strong cyclone on Sunday.
In order to keep the electricity situation normal, people may experience a temporary power outage, as power generation, distribution and transmission systems are disrupted in many ways during disasters.
Cyclone Mocha is approaching the coastal areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar with a maximum wind speed of 200 kilometre per hour (kmph), Bangladesh Meteorological Department has said.
The very severe cyclonic storm was centred about 605km south-southwest of Chittagong port, 525km south-southwest of Cox's Bazar port, 625km south of Mongla port and 565km south of Payra port, the 6pm bulletin of BMD reads.
“It is likely to intensify further and move in a north-northwesterly direction and cross Cox's Bazar-North Myanmar's coast between 6am to 6pm on Sunday,” it adds.
Meanwhile, Mostofa Kamal Palash, a weather forecaster and a PhD researcher on meteorology and climate at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada said the front part of Cyclone Mocha will hit Saint Martin's Island between 3am and 6am on Sunday.
“I am 99% sure that 80-90% of the cyclone center is going to pass over Cox's Bazar district,” reads his post on Facebook.
