Consumers in Dhaka and its outskirts have been suffering due to the low pressure of gas supplied to households as the production has dropped with the onset of winter.
Many neighbourhoods are also experiencing multiple power cut each day, according to residents.
Power supply companies said there is no slump in the production or supply of electricity as the demand falls in winter. In some neighbourhoods, however, the power supply has been disrupted by minor repair work, reports bdnews24.com.
“We face load-shedding every now and then. Today, the electricity came back three hours after an outage. Now, the power production exceeds demand. Moreover, it is winter, so the demand for electricity is lower. Why are we having power cuts then?” said Mariam Begum, a resident of Shanir Akhra.
“The kids are taking online lessons. There’s no wi-fi connection when the electricity is gone and we need to buy more internet data. We can’t even charge our mobile devices.”
In most days, the pressure of gas remains low from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm, according to Mariam. “It takes three to four hours to finish cooking a meal which usually takes half an hour,” she said.
Residents of Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Mirpur, Shewrapara and Pirerbag area made similar complaints.
In winter, the demand for electricity is always low and therefore, there is no need for load shedding, said ATM Harun Or Rashid, director of Dhaka Power Distribution Company or DPDC.
“But in winter, maintenance and repair work on supply lines, transmitters and sub-stations takes place to improve the power supply in summer. We have instructed the concerned regions to carry out the necessary repairs at the beginning of the current year. This may cause power cuts in certain places.”
Nur Mohammad, executive director of Dhaka Electric Supply Company (DESCO), claims he has not heard about power cuts in the areas under his jurisdiction in northern Dhaka, but there could be some disruptions due to maintenance work.
The gas pressure drops in some of the ‘pocket’ areas in Dhaka during winter. The supply lines in these areas are mostly inadequate for the number of customers there. Recently, the gas supply has fallen in comparison with the demand, adding to woes of the residents in those neighbourhoods.
The LNG gas supply has dropped, causing the dip in the pressure, said Mirza Mahbub Hossain, a spokesman for Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited
“Titas needs 2,200 mmcfd gas to cater to the customers. The supply dropped to 1,900 mmcfd, and then to 1,700 mmcfd. The delivery of LNG from Qatar was delayed and that has led to this situation,” he said.
Recently, the price of LNG shot up in the market, leading to a halt in purchases, said Shah Alam, deputy general manager of Petrobangla's LNG department. The LNG supply from Oman and Qatar, however, remains normal as per the contract, he said.
“Now, we’re supplying 400 mmcfd of LNG. It will increase by 50 mmcfd in mid-February. The price jumped to $32 from $5 or $6 recently. Now it is dropping again. In fact, it is not possible to buy LNG at such an exorbitant price,” Shah Alam said.
According to Petrobangla, Bangladesh has a capacity to produce 3,760 mmcfd gas using the resources at its disposal, including the Bangladesh Gas Field, Sylhet Gas Field, the 22 gas fields of BAPEX, Chevron and Tullow and LNG supply.
On September 30, the gas production stood at 3,135 mmcfd that included 701 mmcfd of LNG. The figure was 3,173 mmcfd on October 30, including 641 mmcfd of LNG, compared to 2,872 mmcfd, including 400 mmcfd LNG on February 4.