Karnafuli power plant’s production drops to 25MW as Kaptai Lake water decreases

Electricity generation at 250-Megawatt Karnafuli Hydroelectric Power Station has been disrupted thanks to the fast-depleting water level in Kaptai Lake in Rangamati.

"Power generation of the country's only hydropower plant dropped to 25 MW due to the fall of the Kaptai Lake water level," ATM Abduzzaher, manager of the power station, said.

"Of the five units, only a single unit has remained in operation at this moment. We cannot operate the other units as the water level of the lake decreased," he added.

According to data from the power plant, normally, the amount of water in Kaptai Lake is about 81 ft Mean Sea Level (MSL) in April. But the amount of water in the lake now is 76 feet MSL.

Non-rainfall, deforestation in the hill tracts area create the navigability crisis in Kaptai Lake, causing serious disruption in power generation at the power plant, he added. 

Power Development Board Rangamati Region Executive Engineer Md Saifur Rahman said, "Rangamati currently has a demand of 25 megawatts of electricity for users. We are getting an allocation of 12 MW. For this, we are not able to meet the needs."

Former member of Kaptai Lake Management Committee Md Moniruzzaman Mohsin said disruption of power generation due to the water level fall in Kaptai Lake is not good news.

Deforestation of the hills, lack of new afforestation initiatives, and lack of rain for the past few years are drying up the hill reservoirs and the Kaptai Lake is losing its navigability. The economy of hill tracts dependent on the Kaptai Lake is facing a huge loss.

Dredging is key to saving the largest manmade lake in Bangladesh, he opined.