Big disruption in supply leaves tens of thousands without power
2,797 electric poles toppled in 48 districts during the super cyclone Amphan
Around one crore people in the south-western and north-western regions of Bangladesh are without electricity after super cyclone Amphan damaged power lines.
The authorities in a circular said that 2,797 electric poles have been fully or partially toppled in 48 districts of the country.
The Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), the largest power distribution company in the country, said electricity supply lines have collapsed in 25,000 areas and around 300 pillars have been toppled.
Meanwhile, the West Zone Power Distribution Company, which is responsible for supplying electricity in Barshal, Khulna and some parts of Dhaka, claims that 781 electric poles have been toppled and 1,716 are leaning.
Meanwhile, 790 kilometres of distribution lines and 114 transformers have also collapsed during the cyclone, causing damage of Tk10 crore as per an initial estimation.
Power distribution companies are trying to restore electricity supply.
"From Wednesday noon, around 1.50 crore people in three divisions were left without electricity. But now we have restored the supply in some areas," said Major General Moin Uddin (retd), chairman of the BREB.
He said the cyclone has uprooted trees and affected the electricity distribution lines in Barishal, Patuakhali, Pirojpur, Barguna, Khulna, Mongla, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Narail, Jashore, Jhenidah, Chuadanga, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Pabna and Bogura.
However, the West Zone Power Distribution Company has restored electricity supply in most areas of Barisal division.
"We have already started supplying electricity to most areas. Out of our 12 lakh customers, only five lakh are yet to get the power supply back," said Engineer Md Shafique Uddin, managing director of the distribution company.
The power went off on Wednesday afternoon when cyclone Amphan hit the coastline of the Sundarbans.
In the absence of electricity, communications have been disrupted in coastal regions, and mobile phone networks are not working in some of the worst hit areas.
Meanwhile, the state minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid said, "We are trying to restore the distribution system as early as possible."
He has instructed the power distribution companies to restore power connections by coordinating among themselves.