BANGLADESH - Transformer Blasts Deepen Power Crisis

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Title: Transformer Blasts Deepen Power Crisis

April 29, 2000

Staff Reporter

With the onset of nor'wester the already overloaded transformers of Dhaka Electric Supply Authority have started exploding every now and then due to thunder storms and lightning.

As the consumers of power supply in the capital city have fallen prey to unbearable loadshedding, the snapping of power supply following nor'wester added to their miseries.

A DESA official when contacted said that the overloaded transformers was getting damaged following lightning of the thunder storm. A large number of transformers became damaged, he said.

According to a knowledgeable source, the DESA has failed to carry the load of the power supply from the Power Development Board (PDB) with the present capacity of transmission lines, transformers and power sub-station.

However, hectic efforts were made to improve the present crisis, he added.

The number of consumers, of DESA is at present about 5 lakh 50 thousand. Its number was 3 lakh 50 thousand when DESA was formed bifurcating from PDB in 1991. Although the number of consumers in on increase the DESA could not maintain the smooth supply if electricity proportionally.

The present system loss of the DESA is said to be 25 per cent. But unofficial estimate has been more than that. It is alleged that pilferage of electricity was the main cause of system loss. At least 10 per cent of the power connections are alleged to be illegal, estimated a source.

http://www.nation-online.com/200004/29/n0042901.htm#BODY6

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 29, 2000

Answers

Due to thunder storms and lightning. Oh, yeah. Dee, you've got this nailed, for exactly what it is.

-- Uncle Fred (dogboy45@bigfoot.com), April 29, 2000.

A 25% loss? That is stupendous. Hard to believe. And, all the denialists' say we're not going to have electical power problems this summer? Dreamers!

-- JackW (jpayne@webtv.net), April 29, 2000.

I think this is nothing more than a predictor of what's to come in this country soon - probably by summer. Signals are being sounded around the world. Is anybody listening?

-- Wellesley (wellesley@freeport.net), April 29, 2000.

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