Power supply severely disrupted as storm sweeps the city

UNB, Dhaka

The power supply in the capital was severely disrupted by the season's first nor'wester that hit the city late in the afternoon Wednesday.
According to official sources, vast area of the city plunged into darkness with the collapse of the power supply system as soon as the rainstorm started at 5:20 pm. The tempest continued for about 15 minutes, but many areas of the city had experienced blackout for hours together.
They said the electricity cables in different areas snapped on to the streets failing to withstand the fury of the nor'wester. The electricity system in the city's north-eastern and central parts, which are controlled by the Dhaka Power Supply Distribution Company Ltd (DPDC), had to suffer the most from the nor'wester. The city's south-western part, which is controlled by the Dhaka Power Supply Company Ltd (DESCO), was relatively less affected by the storm.
"About 50 percent of our power sub-stations broke down by the storm, but now those were being repaired and power supply restored gradually," DPDC managing director Ataul Masud told UNB.
DPDC, which replaced the defunct DESA, is responsible for power distribution to major parts of the city including Dhanmondi, Tejgaon, Lalbagh, Narayanganj, Keranigani, Demra and Ramna area.
Masud said they have 33kV grid substations at 34 locations across the city. But half of the substations tripped with the hit of the storm.
"We've already restarted operation at some of the collapsed substations. But it will take another hour to get the whole system fully restored," he said at 7:07 pm.
DESCO managing director Saleh Ahmed informed that a few of their 11 kV substations went off after the nor'wester had hit. But most part under the DESCO remained as usual as none of our 33 kV grid substations were affected," he said.
DESCO is responsible for power distribution to the areas including Gulshan, Baridhara, Mirpur, Uttara and Tongi. Saleh Ahmed noted that two of the 15 feeder substations in Tongi west area were shut down while six out of 17 in Tongi east area, 12 out of 35 in Uttara, 24 out of 57 in Mirpur, and seven out of 30 substations in Baridhara went off after the storm hit those areas.
"But almost all the shutdown substations were restarted and power supply was restored in those areas within few minutes after the rainstorm had stopped," he said.