Editorial
Better power management
Let's build on it
The limping power sector is showing signs of recovery, as the load shedding, which was hovering around an unbearable 1200MW, has been reduced to 200MW in the last two months. That's no doubt a significant development, as the sector is known to be grappling with problems ranging from a huge shortfall in power generation to the cumulative effects of administrative interference in a highly technical field.
The operational efficiency of 100 power units of 27 power plants has registered a marked improvement as the same units are now supplying 4100MW as against only 2800MW last year.
The lesson to be learned from the PDB's success in substantially cutting down load shedding is that the sector has to be managed by technically competent professionals, and not through the dictates of any politically powerful office or individual. It has been reported that the PDB chief had to wait for clearance from the Prime Minister's Office, during the BNP-led four-party alliance rule, even while taking decisions on routine matters. So political interference slowed down the process of decisionmaking, besides creating a host of other problems including corruption. The power supply situation has improved as the PDB concentrated on load management through enforcing some measures like staggering holidays in industrial zones. Obviously, the idea is to make sure that the general consumers remain on top of the priority list. They have also succeeded in reducing the systems loss by at least 2.5 percent in the last nine months.
Obviously, the power sector has to go a long way to meet the requirements, as it must acquire the capacity to produce an extra 10 percent in addition to the country's demand for electricity to ensure a steady and smooth power supply. That would of course need additional power generation capacity, along side streamlining the management of the sector. But what is really welcome news is that the professionals working in the sector could reduce the supply shortage so markedly in only a few months. The power managers must have got the clue as to how to run the sector.
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