New electricity lines are being provided in rural areas. Several lac new consumers are getting connections every month. But they get less electricity. Though the power generation has increased threefold in last 6-7 years, it is not reflected in rural areas especially in situations like summer, irrigation, drought, the rural areas remain without power for long. It has been depicted in report carried out by Rural Electrification Board (REB). In that report regarding the electricity supply condition of REB in the month of April this year, it has been said on 26th April the shortage of electricity supply was 2000 MW in the areas covered by REB compared to the demand. On that day, the maximum demand of REB was 4807 MW. But it got 2761 MW.
In several days of April, the shortage was 1500 MW to 1900 MW compared to the demand in the areas covered by REB that supply electricity to the rural areas.
When asked about this, REB Chairman Maj Gen Moin Uddin said on Sunday it is the reality for REB. The government has chalked out the programme to provide electricity to every house of the country within 2021. REB is installing new lines with a view to implementing that programme and giving connections. REB is developing the overall distribution system. But it seems the electricity supply condition can’t keep compatibility with the activities of REB.
Where REB has fixed the target of giving connections to total 30 lac new consumers in the current fiscal year (2015-2016), 32,64,879 connections have been given till 30th April i.e in first 10 months of the fiscal year. On an average, over 325000 connections have been given every month of which 508734 connections have been given in the month of March.
About five lac consumers will come in the coverage of new connections in the current May and coming June. The demand of electricity of REB stands at about 1200 MW for about 3800000 consumers. But the increasing demand of each month isn’t reflected in the estimation of BPDB. When load shedding of 2000 MW occurred in the areas covered by REB in April, it was mentioned in the report on daily demand and supply of BPDB that much shortage of electricity wasn’t in the country compared to the demand that time.
REB chairman said at present the maximum daily demand of REB is about 4800 MW. The distribution system has been built which is capable to supply this electricity. The number of 33/11 KV sub-stations of REB has stood at about 700 till the month of April and the number of 11 KV distribution line (feeder) has stood at about 2500. The distribution system of REB will be able to supply about 8000 MW electricity at the end of this fiscal year. Rural people will get electricity if there is no shortage in the electricity supply.
But natural disasters like storms are great obstacles to the supply of electricity. The supply lines are often snapped as trees fall on the same due to storms. There is no remedy to this for the time being. Besides some transformers, sub-stations and distribution lines get overloaded as giving new connections continue. Activities are carried out to boost the capacity of these.