Prolonged power outages amid an ongoing heatwave have disrupted daily life across rural areas of Gazipur, with residents alleging they are enduring up to 10-15 hours of load shedding a day.
People living in areas under rural electricity distribution, particularly in Sreepur upazila, said power cuts have intensified in recent weeks, severely affecting households, agriculture, poultry farms, businesses, and education.
Local power officials, however, attributed the situation to a mismatch between electricity demand and supply as consumption has surged due to excessive heat.
Residents said that while electricity supply in urban areas remains relatively stable, rural communities are bearing the brunt of the crisis. In many areas, electricity returns only briefly before another outage occurs.
Consumers under Gazipur Palli Bidyut Samity-1 alleged that power remains unavailable for 12 to 15 hours daily. Many said electricity stays on for only 40 to 50 minutes at a stretch before going out again.
The worsening power situation has hit the poultry sector particularly hard. Farmers said irregular electricity supply has disrupted cooling fans, ventilation systems, and water distribution, leading to increased bird mortality.
Monir Hossain, a poultry farmer in the Gusinga area of Sreepur upazila, said even short power cuts can be devastating for poultry farms.
"If electricity remains unavailable for even half an hour, the temperature inside the farm becomes unbearable. A few days ago, around 100 broiler chickens died at my farm due to load shedding," he said.
Another poultry farmer, Sohel Rana, said chickens become restless when fans and water lines stop functioning during outages.
"If power remains unavailable for several hours, the risk of death increases. Now I worry more about losses than profits," he said.
Dairy farmer Zubair Ahmed of Garaaran area in Barmi union said extreme heat and electricity shortages have reduced milk production.
"When there is no electricity, we have to run generators. But the high price of diesel has increased production costs, while market prices have not risen accordingly," he said.
Selim Mia, a resident of the Kawraid Railway Station area, alleged that consumers under the Kawraid substation of the Maona zonal office are experiencing some of the worst load shedding.
"We receive electricity for only about 14 hours a day. The remaining 10 hours are spent without power. The suffering of people here is endless," he said.
Farmer Mobasher Ali of Kashijuli village in Barmi union said irrigation activities have been severely affected.
"We do not get electricity for 10 to 12 hours out of every 24 hours. Due to severe load shedding, I cannot irrigate my land on time," he said.
Housewife Mahfuza Akhter from Sreepur municipality said frequent power outages have made daily life unbearable.
"There has been load shedding for five to six hours every night over the past week. Due to the heat, we cannot sleep properly and children are unable to study," she said.
Rahima Khatun of Paitalbari village said food stored in refrigerators often gets spoiled because of prolonged outages.
"We buy vegetables and groceries for several days, but without electricity much of the food goes bad," she said.
Farmers warned that if the power crisis persists, it could have serious consequences for the agriculture and livestock sectors. Many said they are reluctant to rear new batches of chicks due to fears of heavy losses.
Rafiqul Islam, a young farmer from Barmi area, said he had taken loans to start his farm but frequent outages are threatening his investment.
"Young chicks are becoming sick more often due to the inability to maintain a proper environment. Frequent load shedding is disrupting their normal growth and increasing disease risks," he said.
Residents also complained that students preparing for examinations are facing difficulties due to the lack of electricity, while children and the elderly are suffering the most during nighttime outages.
Anwarul Alam, deputy general manager of the Sreepur Zonal Office of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity-2, said electricity demand has surged because of the excessive heat.
"Due to limitations in power generation and supply, area-based load shedding is being implemented to manage the situation," he said.
He added that the main areas of Sreepur upazila receive electricity from the Rajabari and Rajendrapur grids, where demand currently stands at around 50 megawatts.
"At present, load shedding in these areas ranges between 45% and 50%," he said.
