Power shortage and water crisis in Sylhet have turned into a serious problem in the last few days, amid sweating summer heat that has made the peoples’ life miserable.
For the last few days, the greater Sylhet region was getting only 200-250MW of electricity against a daily demand of 300-350MW, PDB officials said.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith has expressed discontent over the situation. He claimed that there was enough power produced in Sylhet region, adding that Sylhet cannot suffer immense power shortage.
“Some dishonest officials are doing this to destroy the image of the government,” he alleged. Currently, Sylhet produces a total of 400-500MW electricity in different power plants, PDB officials informed.
Executive Engineer of the Power Development Board (PDB), Sylhet, Abul Hossain said they were not being able to supply adequate electricity due to old-age equipments.
In the city, people of Housing Estate, Shahjalal Upashahar, South Surma, Taltala, Subid Bazar, Ambarkhana, Mendibagh, Shibganj, Akhalia and Tuker Bazar are the worst sufferers due to frequent load shedding and water crisis.
Sources said the city corporation was supplying only one-third water of the total daily demand of people, paralysing their lives during the recent scorching heat of summer.
City corporation officials said water could not be supplied regularly as most of the time the water pumps remain inactive due to frequent load shedding and voltage fluctuation.
Hundreds of patients at different hospitals were the worst victims of the situation, sources said.
The city corporation Chief Engineer Noor Azizur Rahman said the existing water crisis would be solved to some extent when the newly installed water treatment plants become operative within few months.
“The corporation is now supplying some 30m litres of water against the demand of about 80m litres,” he said.
